Ripple
by Rhada0716
Summary: A hard-won time of peace brought on by Naraku's defeat is rendered short-lived with rumors of a formidable power lurking within an enigmatic foreigner. She stirs up trouble and leaves behind a trail of death and destruction, entangling the Great Dog Demon's son in a struggle to uphold a forgotten oath to his father. But will Sesshomaru choose honor or vengeance?
1. Emergence

*** Short little note: This story takes place after the defeat of Naraku at the end of the Inuyasha series, but before Kagome returns (last episode), then the story continues from where the series left off.  
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All rights reserved to the author, artist and this publication. This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity, and in no way intends to infringe on copyrights held by creators and produces of the InuYasha series. Seriously. Don't sue me. ***

Ripple

Unrelenting drops poured out in buckets out of the ebony sky. A lone figure stumbled across a meadow in front of rice fields bordering a small village. It collapsed amid the rice fields, panting and weary of running. The woman held onto the last wisps of strength she had to stay conscious. Her fingers dropped the blade to the sodden ground, trading it for the feel of slick and sharp blades of grass between her fingers. -Get up. Run. Get up.- Her mind pleaded franticly as her vision blurred and her skin tingled with panic. She faintly heard footsteps walk up to her and turned toward the noise. A young man in a red kimono with long silver hair and strange ears stood in front of her. His golden eyes stared at the stranger, but her will failed her and she fell young man scrutinized the numerous injuries seeping blood from under her kimono, and her weak and shallow breathing. He picked her limp body up and carried her to the village, rushing toward a lonely hut near a temple and barged in.

"Kaede, wake up." He announced loudly. The old priestess Kaede stood up her reluctant, crumbling body and lit a fire in the charcoal pit.

"What is it that you want at this hour of the night?"

The young man placed the injured stranger on the floor in front of the warm fire. "I found her barely breathing on that hill in front of the rice fields." Inuyasha leaned her sword against the wall by the door.

A young woman stirred from her sleep, turning toward the commotion. She blinked the sleep out of her dark brown eyes, walking over to the stranger and sat down on her knees in front of her. The unconscious woman seemed in her twenties, and looked utterly out of place amongst the black haired and brown eyed villagers. The demonslayer brushed a few, wet stray hairs from the girl's bloodied face frowning at the fair color. She eyed her a moment longer then gasped, moving her hand away.. "She's a demon!"

"I don't know Sango, she doesn't have a demonic aura. The blood on her is that of humans and demons… but hers is strange. It's not human… or demon." Inuyasha observed, sitting cross-legged.

"Maybe she's a half demon?" Sango suggested. By now, everyone had woken up: Miroku the monk barged into the small hut with a small fox demon child, Shippo, on his shoulders. An unexpected visitor popped onto Inuyasha's shoulder and exclaimed.

"So the rumors are true!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Myoga? Where did you come from anyway?" Inuyasha growled. Sango began to tend the young woman's wounds.

"I have never seen such a… strange woman." Miroku scanned the woman from head to toe. Sango was blowing off steam and snarled "She's half dead you lecher."

"Actually, you were right the first time, Sango, she is a demon of sorts. But none like the ones you have seen. She comes from a distant land, across the sea, from the north. From the lands of snow covered forests. Is she not the one who's been stirring up trouble?" Myoga the flea changed the subject.

"Indeed she is… hunted like an animal by men and demons alike. She has the darkest miscreants stirred up." The old woman answered, carrying a bundle of herbs to the stranger.

"How do you know her?" Inuyasha grunted.

"I have heard about this particular individual before word of her presence here. But now that she is, she comes as an ominous omen, rousing demons from their slumber; powerful, ancient others that have been dormant until now. Some say her presence has awoken them. She is rumored to behold a devastating power, guarded fiercely for centuries. It's more powerful than yours or your brother's swords." Kaede narrated. "So is the rumor at least…"

"Power rivaling that of Inuyasha..." Myoga cut in sounding surprised, making Inuyasha experience a tinge of pride.

"...is not too hard to comprehend, but Sesshomaru? And with her being a woman…" The flea continued. Inuyasha's pride didn't last long, and before he knew it, Myoga was smothered on the half demon's shoulder.

"His bark is larger than his bite." Inuyasha scowled.

"You ignorant, proud fool. You have seen the extent of Sesshomaru's real power, you have seen what he is capable of. Besides, he is your elder brother, and it is evident that he has developed some sort of a meagre semblance of feelings for you. He even protected you." Kaede groaned, tending to the woman's wounds. Miroku and Sango exchanged surprised looks. No one came out and just said that the heartless Sesshomaru could have possibly become ambivalent of his half-demon brother.

"Pfft. Whatever. I don't care for that moron, I want to know why everyone's is after this girl, including these oh so ancient and powerful wretches-" Inuyasha protested.

"Whoever and whatever has woken, it gets her, it gets immortality and invincibility and more power than the jewel, or anything else in the land, if the rumors are true, that is." Myoga responded. "She is dark, foreign and ancient power hidden in a seemingly innocent wrapper."

"Huh… If she's so powerful, why is she all black and blue?" Inuyasha grumbled. All he received in reply was a scornful look from Kaede.

"Inuyasha… hence it is called a 'rumor'…" The old woman sighed.

"So what do we do with her?" Sango glanced down at the girl before her. "She's gotten a taste of the danger… but looks like she put up a fight. " She washed off the dried blood and soot off of the demon's pale skin. "She looks... so strange. Her features are so foreign and her hair... I have never seen anything like it. It is the color of honey… Do you think she is an enemy? A threat to us?"

"She will not oppose us if we don't… But it would be best if she did not linger too long. Better yet, she should go back to her native lands." The old priestess finished mixing her herbal medicine and noticed blood seeping through the kimono. She looked at the men and demanded "You two wait outside for a short while." Inuyasha left the hut without a word, but Miroku was more hesitant. He was mumbling something but was cut short by a rough shove from Sango.

Kaede kneeled and untied the ruined green sash around the woman's tiny waist. Sango blocked the view to anyone spying from the door. The old priestess pulled off the destroyed kimono from the young woman's statuesque body. Sango soaked a cloth in the herb mixture and treated the claw shaped wound on the demon's left shoulder. "What happened to her? Poor thing, how did she survive?" Kaede observed.

"Well she's not human… she's something else…" Sango replied, cautiously analyzing the stranger. "She makes me uneasy."

The women finished cleansing and treating the foreigner's numerous injuries and dressed her in clean clothes. Everyone eventually resumed their sleep, feeling slightly apprehensive of the stranger.

The next day, before sunset, the demon-like woman woke up. She was in shock, gasping and panting as if the wind was knocked out go her, anxious and confused. She didn't know where she was, why she was in a hut, in clothes not her own, nor did she remember what happened the night before. Inuyasha's sensitive ears heard the bewildered demon rustle around in the hut. He announced the news to Sango and the two bolted to the little house.

The young demon was sitting in bed, examining the bandages on her body. Inuyasha kneeled at the woman's side. The frightened girl turned and saw the half demon staring at her. She was stunned enough as it was, and the sight of a strange demon sitting next to her only made it worse. Her eyes filled with terror. -Him…- In a split second, Inuyasha was knocked to the floor by a forceful hit to the head, and the woman was gone.

"Inuyasha! Are you alright?" Sango exclaimed, helping the half-demon up.

"Damn. She wasn't awake for five minutes and she nearly took my head off!" Inuyasha growled as he rubbed the side of his head. "Come on, we can't let her escape!"

"She is still badly wounded, she probably won't make it far." Sango shouted as the two were running up hill and were joined by Miroku and Shippo. The woman was already past the hill and out of their view. She kept running until the sun had set and the moon rose. The foreigner stopped and turned to see if Inuyasha and his gang were still in pursuit. Her ears heard nothing but the wind, and her eyes saw nothing but the dark forest around her. She felt her strength drain out of her body. The demon risked her safety by whistling a loud and steady note, calling her stallion. Within minutes, a powerful black steed emerged out of the shadows.

"Teyn." She whispered, her voice hardly a breath. The horse neighed and nodded, glad to hear his master's voice. The woman walked over to the saddle and jumped on, letting out a faint groan of pain as she hit her left thigh on the horse's side. The stallion snorted in concern, but the demon dismissed it and ordered the horse to gallop away.

They arrived at a peaceful stream in a small clearing in the forest. The woman got off the steed and let him graze and rest while she started a campfire. She took out a small pot and hung it over the flame using perched bamboo thrust into the ground. The woman took a wooden box, full of medicinal herbs and powders, and three glass bottles of black liquid. She poured water into the kettle and boiled it, adding a black mixture from a tiny glass bottle. The woman felt terrible, drained of energy, and her body burned with pain. She looked at the clothes she donned. -How did this happen? The clothes of a priestess... thrice my size...- She undressed and washed herself in the river, relishing the cold caress of the water, then treated her wounds with her medical brew to stop the bleeding and prevent infection. The girl took out her own, clean clothes and dressed herself; a pair of loose, amber colored pants, a light, billowy white shirt, and brown leather boots that had daggers strapped to the sides. There was no point in dressing like a typical village woman considering she stood out like a sore thumb as it was. Without any energy to go for food, the woman leaned against the roots of a sakura tree and fell asleep.

A few hours have passed and the flames were nothing more than the glow of embers. The horse was resting near its owner when a rustle in the bushes caught its attention. A young girl in an orange kimono, with brown hair and chocolate eyes, jumped out of the woods, followed by a toad demon wearing a brown kimono and carrying a staff.

"Rin, Rin! You, foolish girl! Get back here!" The toad squeaked. But the girl kept running until she stopped in front of Teyn, guarding the resting woman. The stallion snorted and flared his nostrils, blowing stray hair out of the little girl's face. She merely shrugged and giggled. The commotion awoke the peculiar woman, her eyes opened and she sat up.

"Who are you?...What are you doing alone in a forest at this time of night? You should be home." The woman's voice reached out to the girl. The little intruder looked at the demon with innocent eyes and replied. "I have no home. I travel with Lord Sesshomaru."

"Then go back where you belong. You should not be here." The young woman said, preparing to depart. She put out the fire, wincing when she knelt.

"You're hurt!" Rin exclaimed.

"Farewell, child. Be safe." The woman paid no heed to the girl's concern. She rode away, leaving the girl staring at her and the imp anxiously mumbling to himself. After a short minute, the two left the campsite as well.

The young demon woman did not get too far when she heard the shrieks of the little girl. The woman turned around and listened intently to determine whether it was child's play or maybe even an animal. Another desperate shriek confirmed her suspicions and she lashed the reigns, speeding toward the little girl's voice. Rin was no longer at the campsite, but somewhere in the forest to the left across the stream. The stallion's hooves splashed across the water, disturbing the reflection of the moon. The demon jumped off the horse as soon as she reached a clearing. Rin was crouching in fear next to her dragon, which was glaring and snorting a warning to the edge of the meadow. The toad was nowhere to be found. The young woman glanced around for the source of the hostility, seeing only darting shadows in the woods on the other edge of the clearing. She pulled out two swords from the horse's saddle; one was slightly shorter than the other, and with a razored blade. She cautiously made her way toward the quivering girl.

"Rin…" The woman whispered. The little girl lifted her face from the ground and turned toward the voice behind her. She said nothing but pointed toward the woods. Three hunched figures emerged from the tree line and advanced toward Rin and the demon.

"The hell is that thing?" One coarse voice drifted in the wind.

"I don't care what it is but it will fetch a fine price." Another reciprocated, eyeing the dragon.

The thieves' advancing pace quickened. The young woman positioned herself in front of the little girl, bending her knees slightly and tightening her grip on the swords.

"Stay back." She issued a threat she knew would be disregarded.

A shuffle in the trees captured the attention of both parties. Inuyasha burst through the branches with a growl, Miroku and Sango followed on the ground.

"Don't you run again!" Inuyasha warned.

"We've got company." One of the thieves mumbled, yet continued to advance. All three drew their swords upon reaching the dragon. Inuyasha snarled and lunged at the thieves. Before he could even land, the woman thrust one sword at her attacker, using the other to slice his legs. The thief's knees buckled and he crumbled to the ground with a bloodcurdling shriek. Inuyasha landed and aimed his claws at the remaining robbers. He managed to incapacitate the third thief and twisted around to finish off the last attacker. The woman already had him pinned to the ground, pointing the long sword at his spine, and the jagged blade was at his throat. She glanced up at the half demon staring at her with a look of mild bewilderment.

The young woman showed no sign of pain or struggle. Inuyasha gaped at the sight and let out a low growl. -What the hell is she?-

"Maybe Kaede was right about her, but I am not entirely sure of what she'll do." Sango mumbled. She decided to not tempt chance."Rin! Get away from there!"

Miroku ran over to Rin and tried to lure her away from the unpredictable demon while Inuyasha and Sango approached her.

"Come no closer. Who are you and why are you following me?" The woman growled, her voice low and dark.

"We are not your enemies, we just want to help you." Sango explained. A cool wind blew from the west, behind Inuyasha. The half demon turned abruptly and unsheathed his sword.

A tall, silver haired demon with golden eyes walked into the meadow. His cold expression was accompanied by commanding aura. His intimidating demeanor was almost palpable. His eyes pierced the air and he glared at the unfamiliar demon woman. Rin wobbled up off the ground and sprinted toward the man. The foreigner was awestruck. -What is she doing?- Rin clutched Sesshomaru's hand. She held on to him like he was her father, but by his appearance, he was only a few years older than the young woman. The clouds that were hiding the moon floated away and shed light in all directions. The woman stared at the demon. He was strangely familiar… Then it hit her. She remembered seeing him, through the smoke in the burning village just two nights ago, at the head of the savage army that destroyed her home. Her blood boiled with anger, she stood up and marched threateningly, having no care of letting the thief she held hostage free. She hit Inuyasha out of her way forcefully enough to make him lose his footing. Inuyasha knocked the fleeing thief unconscious and turned, seething, toward the strange woman.

"Come finish what you started, monster." The young woman snarled at Sesshomaru. Her speech was accented lightly, hardly discernible to the human ear. The man frowned, having no knowledge of what he was being accused of, and began to walk away. The woman, blinded by her rage, quickly paced toward the demon with the razored blade clutched in her hand.

Sango shouted. "Stop! He'll tear you apart!"

"Like hell he will..." The woman snarled, her voice cold as ice, and pointed the sword at Sesshomaru's back. She stopped herself from driving the blade through the man because of the child clinging to him.

The man stopped silently. Rin looked at the woman in fear and held on to Sesshomaru's hand. He turned his head and glared at the stranger threatening him. His amber eyes inspected her foreign face. He could sense that she was in a weakened state and covered in injuries. There was a fresh claw mark across her collar bone, her knuckles and face were bruised and she was having trouble with her left leg. She was a mysterious, unsettling creature, nothing like Sesshomaru had ever seen. She wasn't human… nor demon. The gentle breeze blew, making her silky stands of golden hair to dance in the wind and the scent of roses, cherry blossoms and spearmint spread through the air. Her skin seemed to glow in the moonlight and her gray eyes were furious. Another man's eyes may have grown more gentle, or curious at least, yet his remained disgusted and annoyed.

"Do you know how many innocent children like her you slaughtered with your forsaken army? And for what? Money? Riches?" The woman demanded, motioning toward Rin with a nod of her head. "Thirst for blood?" The edge of her blade pushed slightly into Sesshomaru's back and blood seeped out of the wound. Sesshomaru's eyes flashed death, he bared his fangs, twisted the sword out of her hands and grabbed her by the neck with ungodly speed. Rin shrieked and Sango shoved Inuyasha's arm.

"Do something, don't just stand there!"

"Why? If he kills her, no one will be able to get her and fulfill their stupid powergrabbing scheme." Inuyasha replied carelessly. Apparently his statement caught Sesshomaru's attention. -Power? In this pathetic creature?- The woman in his grasp desperately tried to escape and almost did until Sesshomaru tightened his grip. He continued to glare at his halfbrother. - She's as helpless as the rest of your human companions.-

Inuyasha scoffed and began to walk away from the scene.

The woman realized it was useless to struggle; he would not let her go until she is unconscious or even dead, and, to make the situation even better, she was losing her strength and could barely breathe. The foreigner let her hands relax and her long, slender fingers to slip off the man's powerful arm. She closed her eyes, letting her body fall limp. Sesshomaru glanced back at the young woman, seemingly unconscious in his hand. Her soft, odd colored curls brushed his arm as the gentle wind blew. He let her body fall with a muffled thud on the grass.

Sango frowned and turned on Sesshomaru. "What kind of man are you? She was already injured!"

"This just goes to prove how 'great' her strength and power is..." Inuyasha announced sarcastically. "Come on, Sango, we have nothing to do here."

Sango and Miroku remained in place and watched the two brothers walk away in opposite directions.

"Wait a minute… Are we just going to leave her there?" Miroku called out to no one in particular.

-Fools... I cannot be that convincing. Or are they all so gullible?- The strange woman thought. She opened one eye slightly and seeing that they were all off guard, seized two daggers from her boots. In a fast, fluid motion, she stood up, and pierced Sesshomaru's armor. But before her other hand could land its strike, he stopped her hand in midair and twisted her wrist until she released the blade. Despite the pain, the woman did not scream or make any sound. She kept her savage gaze fixed on Sesshomaru. For the first time, she realized that she might have been wrong about who he really was. -He is too fast to be that demon from the village. And my sword almost chopped his face off, yet there is no scar. No demon could heal so fast.- Her hand was now bleeding, yet she still made no sound. She knew her strength was waning, and she would not be able to overcome the demon on her own.

Rin grabbed his sleeve and said "Don't hurt her, Lord Sesshomaru! She saved me from the thieves, I would have been dead if it wasn't for ... uh... What's your name?"

-Perfect time for formalities…- The woman stared awestruck at the child. Rin tugged on Sesshomaru's sleeve even harder, begging him to let go.

The man looked at the foreigner before him, staring daggers at him. He could easily kill her right here and right now. Once again, he saw what pathetic state she was in: hungry, thirsty and wounded. -It's a waste of my time fighting someone who is barely alive. I'll let you live... this time.-

"Do not even think of attacking me again. You are too weak to harm me." He warned and let go of the girl. She rubbed her wrist and scoffed.

"Yet you bleed."

A low, irritated growl came from Sesshomaru. Then he continued. "Rin's debt has been paid. You saved her life, she saved yours."

"You're despicable. She's just a child… I made a choice, just as you have…" The woman spoke, her voice calm. Then it became like fire, vindictive and dangerous. "If we cross paths again, I'll be certain to leave you with a bloody reminder of my 'weakness'."

Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha looked at the young woman like she was insane. Shippo covered his eyes for fear of what could be next.

"She just bought herself a death warrant." Inuyasha mumbled indifferently.

The young woman was right in front of Sesshomaru. He was a foot taller than her, yet she seemed to be looking down on him. The atmosphere around them was so tense that Rin backed away a few feet.

-It is not him…- The woman scowled, confused and irritated. She pulled her dagger out of his armor and snatched the sword that was in the ground next to Sesshomaru. She began to walk away when Rin stopped her.

"Wait! I want to thank you for saving me!" She asked, holding onto her hand and looking at the woman with innocent eyes.

"No need." She answered before pulling her hand back.

"If you get in my way again, I will not be so merciful." Sesshomaru threatened as he began to walk back into the forest.

-Regretting your decision already?- The young woman looked up at him and replied: "Likewise… Lord Sesshomaru." She turned and bowed mockingly before walking away.

Sesshomaru did not bother glancing back at the insulting creature, then resumed walking, with Rin and Ah un behind him.

The young woman had blood streaming down her arm and barely enough energy to stand much longer, but she continued to walk levelheaded. The rest stood silently, not knowing what to do. After a few moments, the stranger finally sighed and let her tense body relax. She backed up to a tree trunk and slid down to the ground. She whispered something angrily and closed her eyes. Sango came up to her and got a small, white package out of the bag slung over her shoulder. The foreigner glanced at the girl and frowned. -What does she think she's doing?-

"Don't be afraid." Sango said gently. The woman knit her brows and smiled sadly. -Yes, with the centuries I have on you and all the wars I've been through, I would be afraid of you and that half dog of yours…-

"It's medicine, it will heal your wounds faster." Sango took a gentle hold of the woman's injured arm. "What is your name?"

The woman looked into the demonslayer's brown eyes and tried to decide whether she should tell her or not. -What difference will it make? They already know something about me, somehow...- The woman reasoned.

"Nanami." She pronounced quietly. -As far as you will know.-

"Yes, you have nothing to be afraid of." Miroku came up to her and tried to comfort her. "None of us will do you any harm." He said in a smooth voice and his hand slipped down her back. She looked at him with murderous eyes and grabbed his hand, twisting it until he squealed helplessly.

"Touch me again, and I will break both your arms." Nanami hissed.

"I like her already." Sango mentioned, glaring at Miroku.

The demon-like woman called her stallion and stood up. Sango stopped her and sat her back down. The foreigner didn't resist; she didn't have enough strength.

"Stay here, under our protection, at least for tonight. Miroku, please start a fire." The demonslayer asked politely. The monk obeyed, and still cradling his wrist, began to gather firewood.

"Why are you helping me?" Nanami questioned.

"We help a lot of people. And, how could we not if you are injured and hunted? Kaede told us about you." Sango explained as the men set up camp. Inuyasha sat down on the grass behind the fire across from Sango and Nanami.

"You're pretty damn gutsy to stand up to Sesshomaru. Most people are terrified of that sleazy bastard." He announced.

"And for a good reason, he is virtually undefeatable." Sango added. Inuyasha was about to protest when Sango cut him off.

"Don't be so quick to judge him. You never know what he will do. Today he spares you, tomorrow he kills you." The woman responded to Nanami's doubtful look to Inuyasha's comment. "What were you thinking, attacking him after you fainted? He could have ripped you apart."

"It was all an act." The woman answered. The wind blew, sending cinders of the campfire into the night. She looked up and inspected her other hosts. Her eyes lingered on Inuyasha.

"What are you starin' at?" Inuyasha barked rudely.

"You look like him... Like Sesshomaru." She replied indifferently. Sango handed Nanami a pail of water.

"Of course they look somewhat alike. They're brothers." The young woman muttered. Nanami choked on the water she was drinking and coughed. She stared at Inuyasha with astonishment. -Yes, now that you mention it, all the glaring and scowling was indicative of brotherly love between the two.-

"Clearly…" She said sardonically.

Inuyasha ignored Nanami and lounged on his side, his back to her. Out of nowhere, a flea jumped onto Inuyasha's knee.

"It's a family dispute my dear. Both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are sons of the great dog demon." It spoke to Nanami.

The woman's eyes grew wider with memories and she straightened up. "You're his youngest son?"

"Are you, by any chance, Nanami?" Myoga questioned. The group looked at the two in confusion. The woman nodded.

"Nanami?! Is that really you?! You have grown so much! Beyond recognition! My late master was right-" Myoga burst out, but Inuyasha interrupted him by jumping over the fire and landing right in front of the woman.

"You knew my old man?"

"No, I knew your honorable and good father, but no old man." Nanami answered. Inuyasha was obviously not satisfied with the answer, so he sat in place, waiting for her to talk.

"He was my father's closest friend and my guardian when my father was away in battle… Our fathers became allies when yours saved mine. They aided each other in battle, spent time feasting, drinking sake and discussing anything that came into mind. Then when my father had to leave abroad on urgent matters, I stayed in your father's castle. I lived under his protection for years. He taught me many things... History, traditions, cultural intricacies… He told me about his conquests, his battles. He described the different demons that roam these lands and how to defeat them." She reminisced.

"Didn't YOUR father teach you anything?" Inuyasha growled, childishly jealous.

"I think you are forgetting that I am not native to these lands. I knew nothing of them except how to speak the language. My parents taught me all that I needed to know and more about my people, their past, present and the history of other civilizations of the world, including three other languages besides my own and yours. I was trained and fought alongside the best warriors of my people, including my father. Yet none of that mattered when I came here. I was as hopeless and clueless as anyone thrust into a new world. I was beyond fortunate to have a mentor such as your father."

Inuyasha grunted, yet he was willing to listen to her story. "I didn't mean it literally…What else did he tell ya?"

"One night in spring before your father's death, we sat outside by a fire behind the mansion I lived in, and he was telling me about a battle of his with a formidable foe in which he used his three swords. But then he drifted off in thought and said quietly; 'Some time, when my swords belong to my sons, you will come across them again. I warn you now, that each may take you as an enemy or an ally. But you cannot be one to both. Ally to one, enemy to another. Because they would despise each other… my first son is furious with me. But when you are in need, go to either one and ask for aid. If he refuses, remind him of his promise.' He said his eldest son had sworn the oath. That son, as it turns out, is Sesshomaru." Nanami finished, the mere mention of the man's name turning her mouth dry as desert in apprehension.

"So you picked Inuyasha as your ally? Good, Sesshomaru has a mind to think on his own, but Inuyasha..." Myoga stopped before he said anything else. He knew Inuyasha was going to pulverize him. The half demon growled and swung his hand up in the air, but changed his mind.

"I did not ally myself with anyone. The choice is yet before me." Nanami threatened, her voice calm and cold.

"I swore nothing to anyone. You're on your own." Inuyasha rumbled angrily, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I think we all should rest, the night is half over." Sango suggested before her and Miroku got settled in for the night, but Inuyasha sat across from Nanami, where he did in the first place.

"Don't get any ideas, 'cause you ain't gonna get past me." Inuyasha threatened once everyone else was asleep. Nanami was resting against the side of her stallion. She turned her head toward the half demon and let out a short laugh.

"Yes, you and Sesshomaru are without a doubt brothers." She turned and looked at Inuyasha. "Proud and with lofty egos. Not to mention the attitude... Yet... you are completely different and neither are like your father." She whispered the last sentence, staring up at the myriad of stars. All of a sudden, she felt like she was alone in the world, with no one to reach out to her when she needed help. Nanami fled from the menacing enemies in her home into the hands of countless demons in this land. Everywhere she turned, someone was there and anxious to kill her. She did not know who she could and who she should trust. Nanami wanted so much to flee, to escape the grasp of ever growing danger, hate, misunderstanding and loss; to escape to a place without pain and sorrow, a place of harmony and peace. But such place does not exist in this world.

"I guess we're not." Inuyasha broke the silence. "Where were you going to go if we hadn't stopped you?"

"Nowhere." The woman answered, being completely honest. She couldn't return to her homeland. Looking like she did, it was hard to conceal herself here. She had no place to go. Maybe far, far, far west.

Inuyasha felt pity toward the girl. -It must be hard living your life, afraid of every passing moment. Her list of allies grows thin, and her enemies are growing and gaining on her. She lost my old man as an ally and today earned his own son as an enemy. He won't hold back next time. He will kill her.-

"Why don't you stay with us?" Sango's voice echoed. Inuyasha's eyes widened and mouth twitched as he turned to Sango.

"No way in hell! We don't need anyone else to tag along!"

"I am thankful for your hospitality, but I would rather be unaccompanied. I bring too much danger." Nanami quickly replied.

"But you are better off with us than on your own, the more allies you have, the better. Besides, you would be safer from Sesshomaru and any others with us around you. You should think about it tonight and let us know tomorrow… And Inuyasha… it's what Kagome would have wanted…" Sango muttered quietly and returned to her sleep. Inuyasha's eyes flickered with sadness before he grumbled something, leaned against a tree and closed his eyes.

Nanami stared at the fire for a while, trying to decide what to do. -I do not have much choice. My injuries are serious and I cannot protect myself well enough. I'll have to stay until I am healed, but no longer.- Then she remembered the words of Inuyasha's father. -Ally to one, enemy to another. So Inuyasha is my ally from the two. That means Sesshomaru is my enemy.- She felt her neck where his powerful arm had held her up in the air without the slightest struggle. Sesshomaru's eyes were just like his father's and he was just as strong. The woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes. -Could not have picked a worse person as an enemy…-

By now, Jaken had caught up with his lord. Panting, he ran across the grassy plain toward the tall demon, his broken armor in his hand and a blood stain on his white kimono shirt. Sesshomaru was followed by Rin, who was sleeping on top of the dragon.

-Lord Sesshomaru would not believe what I have just heard!- Jaken thought as he stopped and panted at his master's feet.

"Jaken. Where have you been?" Sesshomaru asked indifferently, glancing down at the imp.

"Milord! you will not believe what I have overheard tonight!" Jaken squealed. He saw the blood seeping through Sesshomaru's shirt and gasped. "You're wounded my lord! So it was true!"

Sesshomaru's glare intensified. He sat down and set the armor on the grass. Ah-un lay down behind him. Jaken plopped down in front of the demon.

"My Lord, Inuyasha and his gang were accompanied by an odd young woman. She claimed she knew your father, that she lived with him, that your fathers were close friends." Jaken rambled on about everything he heard the group talk about when he was spying on them. "But why did she attack you?" He finally asked after a few minutes.

"She claimed she saw me at the head of an army and that I slaughtered her village. She wasn't even afraid that I could have snapped her neck without any effort. Pathetic fool." Sesshomaru answered uninterested.

"My lord, forgive me for asking, but... did you attack her town?" Jaken asked, prepared for the blow he expected to receive. But he received only a deadly stare.

-No.- Sesshomaru did not say it though. He closed his eyes, signaling to Jaken that he was done talking. The imp realized this was no time to argue any further. No one would listen. He sighed and fell back onto the soft grass. -Ugh, what a day... That creature. What would wretches want from that suspicious woman? What is it that she possesses that they seek? And lord Sesshomaru's father…- Jaken pondered, completely unaware that those exact thoughts were racing through Sesshomaru's mind.

The sun's warm light stirred up the birds in the trees. They fluttered out of their nests and began to chirp a sweet melody. The sunlight lit up a campsite with sleeping travelers: Sango, the demonslayer, was resting on the fur of a white cat demon; the monk Miroku was snoozing away while leaning against the roots of a tree, Shippo snoring against his lap; Inuyasha was sleeping with his sword against his chest. A young woman, out of place in the troop, sat up next to her stallion and stretched. She was wearing a blue and gray kimono top and an ornate purple sash with burgundy colored cherry blossoms. Instead of a skirt she wore simple black, loose pants and boots. She has been traveling with the company for a fortnight now.

One by one, the rest of the group woke up. They continued their typical morning routine: got up, had a quick meal, packed up and continued their journey. Around noon, the travelers crossed paths with a wolf demon. A gust of wind and dust blocked their path and revealed a young man with black hair tied back, with dark blue eyes, wearing black armor and wolf fur.

"Hey there mutt face! Kagome back yet?" He said in a deep, grumbling voice Inuyasha snarled and balled up his fists as the wolf demon Kouga shoved past him, inspecting the group.

"Get out of here ya mangy wolf!" Inuyasha snapped. Kouga's gaze fixed on the half demon and they began to insult and push each other around. Miroku and Sango were all used to these 'dog-fights' and just waited for the two to be done. Nanami arrived on the scene and frowned at the quarreling demons.

"Look who's talking, you jackass!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Aw, go to h-" Kouga stopped half way through his phrase and sniffed the air. "So you've picked up a drifter, eh muttface?" He headed toward the young demon. Her hand instinctively was on the hilt of her sword.

"Well, well, well. Where did you find this hellion?" Koga asked, examining the woman's cold expression. She was clearly sending a message: Stay away or die.

"None of your business, you flea bag." Inuyasha mumbled.

"What d'you call me?" Kouga's attention was brought back to Inuyasha and the fighting started up again. Miroku, Shippo and Sango patiently waited for the childish brawl to be over, and Nanami headed deeper into the forest. During the commotion, she had plenty of time to climb up on Teyn, tell Sango that she will be up ahead, and get out of sight. She reached a dense part of the woods and she could no longer hear their bantering.

Teyn was acting peculiarly, shaking his head nervously. The woman began to feel troubled and tense. Something was wrong. Nanami got off the horse and decided to turn back. They traced their steps back. The stallion was ahead of her by a few meters and she followed his hoof prints. She looked up, the horse had vanished from her sight. Nanami looked around for him and could not understand how he could disappear in that short second she took her eyes of off him. The forest became still and deathly silent. Not a sound. No rustling of the leaves, no bird calls. The forest seemed to be holding its breath. It seemed unearthly, lifeless and still. The dense fog was out of place in the sunny afternoon the demon was walking in minutes ago. The blossoming, lively forest was now an ominous cold mass of nothing but malicious gray shadows and still trees.

Something landed quietly behind the woman, but she was able to hear it. Nanami whirled around, drawing her sword. By the sound, she determined in an instant where the creature was. The tip of her blade was right on target - a mere millimeter away from the throat of a black haired demon with seemingly bottomless black eyes. He donned a dark red and black outfit and his hair was tied back.

"Beautiful." The man's voice resonated across the surroundings. His voice was low pitched and as cold as the steel of a sword. The woman's trained hand held the sword steady and her muscles were ready for a quick response to any possible attack. -Not something I hear often.- She was more accustomed to being called a demon or some other unsettling creature.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

The demon smirked. "I beg your pardon, where are my manners. I am Tsuneo, a simple man whose sister and nephew you had saved two weeks ago from Sesshomaru's wrath. I simply came to thank you for your deed."

Nanami held her position and looked at the man with scrutiny. -How would he know that Sesshomaru attacked the village, and where to find me? And it certainly was a human village…he's no human.-

"You see, Sesshomaru has injured me and I am unable to fight. He forced me to live in the shadows for the rest of my life. That scoundrel has great and terrible power, and he is capable in doing awful things. You saw it yourself that night. Your sword ran through his right eye and yet you saw him without even a scar in two days." The demon continued.

Nanami's grip on her sword tightened and she was now troubled about who this man was. -How the hell would he know about that? There was no one that night besides 'Sesshomaru' and me in that hut. There is no possible way this man could know I stabbed him in his right eye... Something is off... This ruse is not thought out.-

She tried to push her sword closer to the demon's throat. She couldn't move. His black eyes were probing into Nanami's mind and his voice began to echo in her head. She closed her eyes and frowned, as if in pain. An image of Sesshomaru appeared in her head and a bitter voice commanded "Kill him. Kill Sesshomaru. Take your vengeance. Exact revenge for the ones you lost and save those who he will go for next from the same fate. Do you want your friends, family, even yourself fall into his hands? Do the people of these lands a favor, get rid of the malicious beast. Spill his blood and bring them peace." And he almost succeeded in persuading her to do his bidding, but the image of Sesshomaru dead and her sword protruding from his chest disappeared and another appeared, this time conjured by her mind. It was Rin. She was holding on to Sesshomaru's hand so tightly, knowing he would protect her. Then she remembered how he could have easily ended her life by snapping her neck like a twig, but he didn't. He spared her. -It could not have been him that night in the village…- Nanami opened her eyes. The spell failed and only had paralyzed her.

The demon moved closer to the woman. He ran his index finger along the blade and pushed it away. The sword fell out of her hand and clattered on the ground. The man's fingers touched the woman's soft cheek and slid down to her rosy lips. A flame ignited in Nanami's eyes and she tried to turn away, but could not. She felt a wave of fear and hopelessness rush through her. Usually a stranger that would have tried to do the same ended up with broken arms and a swollen face. Nanami cursed for letting herself be so easily incapacitated. Nor could she reveal her identity and threaten her safety further by using her gift. So she remained angry and still, patiently waiting for the demon to screw up his own work.

"Huh. A beautiful woman." He ran his thumb over her lips and then his hand closed around her neck. "I can feel the power in your fiery blood course through your veins." He continued savoring the delicate pulse at his finger tips. The beast leaned in closer and pressed his face into her golden hair, taking in her scent.

-It is your blood that I am going to spill. Keep it up… You're ruining your own ambush.- She realized the spell was wearing off and moved her trembling hand up from her side.

"I must say, I do envy Sesshomaru. He was first to feel the warmth of your skin and smell your sweet fragrance... But he is too proud and prizes himself too much to let you affect him." The man whispered and his lips brushed past her ear. "Come with me, help me… and you will be goddess among mortals. Feared and worshiped by all… I will give you all the gold, the silks and jewels in the world. Swear yourself to me and I will protect you and cherish you for eternity." Nanami sensed his spell was weakening; his lust disrupted his hold on her. She could move a bit more now. The demon's hand began to move down from her neck. His hand slowly made it's way further down. Lower. Lower. The demon's fingers slipped under the folds of Nanami's shirt. Sensing his lack of focus, the woman clenched his wrist and pushed it away, but she still held it. Her thumb and part of her palm were pressing against his, and her fingers were locked tightly around his wrist. The man smiled.

"Am I to take this as an acceptance of my terms?" He snickered. The woman's eyes were storms of anger and fury. -You underestimated me.- She grit her teeth and with crushing force snapped his wrist back. His bones cracked and some carpals broke through the skin. While the demon shrieked with pain, Nanami grabbed her sword and sprinted off deeper into the woods. The fog dissipated and the forest returned to normal before she even got a hundred feet away from the man. She ran right on to a small opening that broke off into a considerably steep cliff with endless ocean on the horizon. Nanami stopped before entering the clearing and looked behind her. The demon appeared out of the woods, without a mutilated hand. His appearance in general was not too different, except for the bone spikes in his hands and a blazing fiery red in his eyes. Everything surrounding him seemed to wither and darken. Nanami backed up slowly until she reached the edge.

"I have you cornered. You won't escape me." He murmured with a wicked smile.

"A cornered enemy is a dangerous enemy." She growled back.

The sun's rays broke through the few clouds in the sky and bathed the landscape in sunshine and warmth. The beast examined the fierce woman in front of him. Her golden hair danced in the gentle breeze, the light kissed her fair skin and the blue of the water emphasized her wise eyes.

"A beautiful enemy, yes. But dangerous?" The demon made a doubting expression. "But shall we put that theory to the test?" He smiled as he angled his weapon toward her.

"You already have." Nanami replied with a crafty smile. She noticed her stallion and fellow travelers were standing on the beach some distance away to the south. The cliff Nanami stood on was not tall enough to kill her if she dived, and the water was relatively calm. Nanami sheathed her sword.

"Come to your senses, have you?" The demon asked in a kind voice.

She glared at him, imprinting the image of her newfound enemy into her mind, and dove off into the cold waters below. Her body tensed as she submerged into the chilling waves. She kept swimming underwater toward the beach, occasionally popping up for a breath of air. Finally, after a grueling swim, Nanami barely walked out of the rumbling waves and dropped to her knees, palms in the sand, gasping for air. No one knew what had happened; Sango, Miroku and Shippo all stood awestruck. Inuyasha had his arms crossed over his chest and cocked his eyebrow.

"Nice day for a dip?" He questioned, but he soon smelled a familiar scent, one he despised. "Naraku?!" He snarled. Everyone looked surprised and alarmed, including Nanami.

"What? How? What direction is he in?" Miroku asked, ready to fight.

"Wait, how could it be him, he's dead!" Sango announced. "How could that be possible?"

"Ask her." Inuyasha motioned to Nanami. She looked stunned. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out for a while. Then she stood up and shook her head. She was annoyed and angry enough, without being posed with some mystery of a dead creature. She assumed the only answer could be that the man was some undead amalgam of demons including this Naraku the group keeps fretting about. Or perhaps it was all another attempt at a trap.

"That thing... it...w-" She stuttered then stopped and glanced back at the cliff. He was not there anymore.

"What the hell happened, Nanami?" Inuyasha demanded, looking in the same direction and trying to catch Naraku's scent. Sango came up to the woman and made sure she was not hurt.

"There are no injuries. Did it say anything?" She asked. Nanami stood silent for a moment then answered.

"Not Naraku… He said he was Tsuneo…That monster wanted me to come with him and help him... He wanted me to help kill your brother."

"Sesshomaru? Why would he need you to do his killing? I thought you're the one that's being hunted?" Inuyasha was puzzled. -Does she know him? Or does it have to do with the village she claimed he razed?-

"Wait a minute! Didn't you say Sesshomaru attacked and destroyed your village?" Sango blurted out Inuyasha's thoughts, holding Nanami by her shoulders.

"That's what he used to control me." The woman looked at the girl. "He tried to coax me into following him using visions and my memories." Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged troubled looks.

"Tell us exactly what happened that night." Sango returned her gaze to Nanami.

"I do not remember everything. I was afraid of dying, so I was focused on keeping myself alive…. instincts kicked in and my mind blocked out everything except how to survive… I have few memories of the night." Nanami whispered, looking doubtfully at the group.

"But you remember your encounter before you started the fight. What did he say? Was he exactly like the Sesshomaru you saw last time?" Inuyasha demanded impatiently. The woman stared at him, trying to remember what she could from that night.

" 'Your blood is the ultimate prize...' That is what he said before our fight." She finally answered.

Inuyasha's grimace only darkened. -Just like Kaede said. Naraku or whatever it is wants the power that flows through her veins.-

"Was he the same or not?" He stressed on Nanami. She glared at him.

"No." She answered. "The way he talked, his presence, the look in his eyes - all different. The one in the village had sinister eyes, the demon in the forest had cold eyes, but they were not blood thirsty or power hungry. The presence of the demon that night was negative, angry, with a lust for pain, like something out of hell. Sesshomaru's was not, it was aloof, cold... And my sword went right through that demon's face. His right eye, ear and nose were gone. Sesshomaru was without even a scratch."

Inuyasha growled and glanced at his friends. "That bastard! He did it again!" Inuyasha snarled. "That scheme has Naraku written all over it."

"But he failed. She didn't kill Sesshomaru, and he didn't kill her." Sango commented. " He wants them to kill each other so he gets her power. Sesshomaru is the one who is powerful enough to stop him. With him gone, there is no one to stop him from killing her."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure Sesshomaru and Nanami would kill each other without anyone's consent- wait, are you saying I'm not powerful enough to stop that bastard?!" Inuyasha snapped at the demonslayer.

"No that's not the point-" Sango tried to explain.

"I could kill Sesshomaru myself anyd-" Inuyasha protested but was interrupted by Nanami.

"Can you stop your snapping and tell me what is going on?!" Nanami said, a bit frustrated. Sango looked at the young demon and sighed.

"That demon took on Sesshomaru's appearance and led you to believe that it was him that night in the village. He didn't kill you on purpose because he knew you had the power to destroy his opponent, Sesshomaru." The girl explained. Nanami pondered it over and it was starting to make sense in her mind. She glanced at Inuyasha and thought about asking him about his incident, but decided it was his business, not hers.

"I wonder if-" Inuyasha started, but was interrupted yet again by a growing sound of irritated and panicked squealing behind them. Teyn was trotting toward them with Sesshomaru's servant in his mouth by the collar of his brown kimono.

"Jaken!" Shippo exclaimed in surprise. Inuyasha growled and rolled his eyes.

"That can only mean my dear brother is near…"

Nanami gave Inuyasha an irritated look. -What a tender family you two make.- She walked between Inuyasha and Miroku toward the toad demon. Just as she approached, Teyn set Jaken down and nudged him on his back with his snout, as if saying 'speak'.

"Why are you here?" Nanami asked, not unkindly. Jaken stood up, grumbling, and straightened his kimono.

"I have no time to meddle with you weaklings, I have to find Rin before-" He realized he had said too much and groaned.

"What happened? Is she alright?... Shouldn't you be with that 'lord' of yours?" Nanami kneeled before the demon.

"Humph! I have no obligation to tell you anything!" Jaken scoffed, but he was very shaky and nervous. The young woman studied the imp for a moment and then asked in a softer tone.

"Sesshomaru doesn't know she got away, does he? And if he finds out, there will be hell to pay, am I correct?"

Jaken gulped and stared at the woman wide-eyed. -Well, she's good... how could she know that?- He wanted to protest but didn't. -He will kill me…-

"I couldn't stop that witch! She kidnaped Rin while Lord Sesshomaru went off to find that Naraku smelling demon!" He finally said. Nanami noticed blood seeping through the sleeve of his kimono. She grabbed his arm and saw a deep gash below his elbow.

"Who did this? Who took Rin?"

"I don't know with certainty but it may have been one of the demon's cohorts." Jaken answered. Nanami shot a glance at Inuyasha and then deep into the forest. She pondered going after the girl again, remembering how the last time turned out. With a sigh, she stood up, got on her horse and rode off without a word.

"Where the hell is she going?" Inuyasha asked.

The wind lashed at Nanami's skin and felt invigorating on the warm day. But she had no intention of relaxing; her muscles were tense and her mind kept warning her about an upcoming, ominous occurrence. -I cannot deny this feeling of danger. Am I too late?- Nanami kept on searching for any sign of the girl. She kept riding until her stallion stopped on a hill overlooking a field and mountains.

Something was lying in the tall, yellow grass. A strong wind blew and rustled the grass. A small, huddled figure was on the ground, with brown hair and wearing a yellow and orange kimono. Nanami lashed the reigns lightly and Teyn bolted toward the girl.

Rin woke up to the sound of hooves pounding on the ground. Her chocolate colored eyes surveyed the ground around her and she jolted upright. She began to pant and whimper. -Where am I? Where's master Jaken? Lord Sesshomaru?- Rin panicked as she heard the hooves come closer and closer, but she was too afraid to look. "Lord Sesshomaru!" She shrieked and dropped to the ground, her hands over her head. The hooves slowed to a stop and the girl heard a quiet rustle as someone approached her. She shut her eyes and prayed that her guardian would come and rescue her from this place.

"Rin..." A kind, soothing voice called her name as a gentle hand brushed her hair from her face. Rin recognized Nanami's voice and looked up. She saw the silvery eyes and scrambled up to her feet, throwing her arms around Nanami's neck. She stood up, holding Rin in her arms, and looking around for anyone else who might have been there.

"Don't be afraid, you are safe with me." She assured Rin.

"Hahaha! How sweet... however, not the one I was expecting to lure." A menacing voice of a woman sounded from above. Nanami instinctively covered Rin's head and pressed her close to her body.

"Oh, I'm not going to harm the brat... yet." The voice answered. Nanami shot a glance skyward. Up above, a woman with burgundy hair in a slick updo and big, almond shaped black eyes was perched on a branch of a near by tree. Three scars slashed across her otherwise stunning face. She wore a red and black kimono and her fingers fiddled with small sharp daggers.

"Hm. I wonder; what kept Sesshomaru from wringing the life out of you? Was it those devilish eyes of yours? I wouldn't have pegged him as one with a taste for foreigners." The demon rambled on about something Nanami paid no attention to. She quickly set Rin down behind Teyn and grabbed her long bow and arrow. Her sword was fastened on her hip in its black sheath, decorated with thin strings of silver that circled the sheath once at the bottom and crept up to the hilt. The handle of the sword was made of steel inlaid with carved black metal and gold. A white orb enshrouded in a circular cage of black with a few inlaid diamond fragments was nestled between the handle and the blade itself.

Nanami pulled out an arrow from her quiver, but did not aim it. She looked up at the woman. Nanami pulled the arrow back on the bow. With her index finger she flicked off the leather covering of the tip, it seemed to be covered with a layer of wax.

"Hmm... I'd pluck out those eyes and tear your head off and send it to Sesshomaru with that little brat… too bad that's not what I am here to do." The assassin answered slowly as if she was faced with a tough decision. She crossed her legs and tilted her head to the side. "On second thought..."

Nanami aimed the arrow at the demon's heart and tapped the tip with her middle finger, adorned with a black and gold ring with a small white stone that matched the one on her sword. There was a slowly twirling white flame inside both stones. The one on her ring now spun faster and faster. The tip of the arrow turned white and then burst into flames.

"Maybe I will just kill that sniveling little girl, blame it on you and this time Sesshomaru would not be able to hold back. Should be quite the spectacle..." The woman was stopped short when an unbearable pain shot through her chest. A torched arrow pierced the spot where her heart was. She shrieked in pain as the fire burned her and collapsed to the ground with a thud. Nanami paced up toward the demon. She stood over the black eyed woman and aimed at her forehead.

"Tell me where your master is." She demanded coldly.

Rin was peeking out from behind Teyn's front legs. She had a terrified expression on her face after seeing what the woman she thought wouldn't hurt a thing had done. Nanami sensed the girl staring at her.

"Rin, get out of here. Climb on Teyn and he will take you to safety." She commanded, but her voice calmed Rin a little. The girl nodded and shakily got on the saddle with the help of Teyn, who nudged her with his snout to get her on his back. Then, with Rin clutching his mane, he trotted off away from the quarrel.

The black eyed demon did not answer and tried to reach the arrow. Nanami stared daggers at her, demanding an answer yet not receiving one.

"Fine..." Nanami said quietly. Her ring began to glow once more and the fire doubled in intensity. The demon screamed and cursed at the young woman.

"Where is he?!" Nanami shouted. The demon finally snarled something about her master not trusting her with that information. Then she rambled on about how the young woman was a fool and that she would never be able to kill her because her master would simply bring her back. The young woman rolled her eyes, put her arrow back into the quiver, and fastened her bow on her back. She kneeled and wrapped her fingers around the arrow in the demon's chest.

"You had your chance." She uttered. With great force, Nanami snapped the arrow and punched the splintered burning wood into the demon. The black eyed woman howled in pain and fainted. Nanami stood up and turned to leave.

"If you're going to kill someone, don't waste your chance talking about it."

She brushed the splinters off of her hands and walked in the direction Rin rode off.

Across the field, Sesshomaru was approaching the hill on which Rin stood in waiting. It surprised him to see her on someone's stallion. She was clutching the horse's mane and staring off into the distance. As he got closer, Sesshomaru began to pick up a familiar scent - blood, death, and demons, with a faint trace of Naraku. But then another scent appeared. One of something sweeter… -Her again.-

Jaken had informed him about the girl that joined Inuyasha's group. He also said she knew the great dog demon, and that she even lived with him for a while. It all sounded eerily familiar to Sesshomaru, but he did not know why. He did not remember a fair haired girl, much less any other stranger, living with his father at any point in time.

Within moments the man was merely a meter away from Rin. She sat up straight and glanced over her shoulder at her guardian.

"Lord Sesshomaru! You're here!" Rin plopped down from the tall horse onto the ground and whimpered. "A demon woman with scary black eyes abducted me! But I think the lady killed her."

"Lady?" Sesshomaru wanted to confirm his suspicion, whether this was the doing of the same girl he spared half a month ago.

"Yes, the strange and pretty one. The one that saved me before. I heard Jaken say her name is Nami." Rin answered.

"Nanami." Sesshomaru's voice spoke on it's own. It unsettled him that he knew her name, almost innately. He had not heard her being called by anyone in Inuyasha's troop. -Why do I know that name? Nanami.- He pondered, remembering her silvery blue eyes. Something about her was spine-chillingly familiar. Then he turned toward the field again. -Father... said that name when we came back from the North many years ago. "The child of my closest friend."- His father's voice echoed in his mind. -So is this that child?-

Sesshomaru walked further uphill and saw everything there was to see on the field. Nothing, except a small patch of burning grass. He followed the faint scent of the woman and saw her running to a cloud of smoke in the distance.

Sesshomaru frowned at the rubble of a city under the smoke. It smelled of blood, burning flesh and worse- Naraku. Sesshomaru headed after the woman, leaving Rin to await his return. -What is this creature? Why does it seem to want to capture her so desperately?- The silver demon wondered while he trailed Nanami's steps.


	2. The Hunt

Nanami kept running toward the city that seemed so familiar. -I know this place…- The woman stopped when she entered the gates. Her lips parted and she let out a whimper. The sight before churned her stomach and clouded her mind.

The small town was hell unleashed. Fire devoured the buildings, corpses lined the streets and the horrid stench of blood and burning flesh filled the air. The killer, or killers, obviously enjoyed the suffering and agonizing pain of others; tormented shrieks sounded from the rubble, the lifeless remnants of human beings were strewn across the land.

The woman put her hand over her mouth to stifle a loud, frightened cry. Her eyes were wide with fear and utter disbelief. Her other hand had dropped the bow and her vision blurred, but she kept walking. A few screams filled the air around her and died down. Nanami wanted to save the lives of those still trapped so desperately, but by the time she had found their location in the undistinguishable ruins, the screams ceased.

Nanami was reliving that dreadful night half a month ago, except now she was in a city she had called home several months ago. Her incredulous eyes scanned the town and saw something Nanami wished she would never see. In front of a burning rubble of the medicine hut, the limp, dead, beaten and broken body of a petite woman hung by the wrists from the roof. Nanami swallowed the lump in her throat and ran toward the half demon she once knew suspended from the roof. She cut the ropes with her sword and let the blade clatter onto the ground. Nanami caught the body of her friend and fell with it to her knees. She hugged the half demon and struggled to hold back her tears. She brushed the woman's bronze locks from her face and almond shaped eyes. A crystal clear tear dropped on the soot and blood stained skin of the dead girl. Nanami began to whimper shaky words in her native language.

"Please... for-give me..."

Her eyes looked around at the hell surrounding her. Through the smoke, she could see a tall figure with silver hair, in a white kimono, black armor and fur on his shoulder. Nanami's teary blue eyes stared at the man. -What does he want?- But he remained motionless and silent. The young woman turned back to her friend, fighting back tears with all her might. It would do her no good to break down now.

Sesshomaru continued to observe the woman, without a shred of pity in him. -Another village? Who wants her so desperately?- Sesshomaru stopped himself from thinking anything else and turned his attention to finding the murderous demon. -He's here. I can smell him, but where?-

Without warning, Nanami cried out loudly at the top of her lungs, loud enough for everyone to hear, including Inuyasha and his band, who were now at the gates. But it was not the scream that startled everyone, but what followed. The second her voice faded, all the fire still burning the city dissipated - just vanished. The ring on her finger and the orb on Nanami's sword were glowing fiercely and pulsating waves of white, misty light. Nanami set her friend's body down on the ground gently and stood up. She sighed and closed her eyes, but they fluttered opened and she turned abruptly, searching for someone or something in the rubble. She picked up her sword and her eyes darted around her.

Sesshomaru frowned and drew his own sword. -He's here…- But he could not figure out where his smell was coming from. It was everywhere.

Without warning, the burned building exploded and hurtled Nanami backwards with tremendous force. She fell to the ground and rolled twice before getting up on all fours. Her sword landed behind her, right in front of Sesshomaru.

"Do you like my work, Nanami? No one here revealed your origins, your power, not even your true name. They said nothing. Pity, they might have died a less violent death... I roasted the children first." A black eyed man cackled, motioning to the remains of a makeshift orphanage.

Nanami stood up and grabbed her sword, not even paying the slightest bit of attention to the fact that she was standing merely two feet away from another dangerous enemy.

"You deserve twice the suffering hell can offer!" She shouted. Inuyasha and his group arrived at the scene and stopped behind Sesshomaru. Miroku was holding Nanami's bow.

"What the hell are you doing here? Helping that thing corner Nanami?" Inuyasha barked at his elder brother, who just threw him a shut-up-and-get-lost look in reply.

The demon walked out of the smoke and rubble of the orphanage. "Sesshomaru? Inuyasha? Hmm... I see the dogs are chasing after the poor, defenseless kitten. Lost, alone and without a home. Perhaps the kitten would like me to give her shelter?" The man let out a bone chilling laugh. His eyes were black as pitch, eerie and disturbing. Nanami had a disgusted look on her face, tearing those black eyes out in her mind. She realized the monk had her bow and headed backwards toward him calmly, as if ignoring her enemy's presence. She could feel everyones' eyes on her as she retrieved her weapon from Miroku, and it was irritating beyond belief. Sesshomaru and the others observed the situation, Inuyasha had his sword drawn and stood in a fighting stance. The bloodthirsty demon looked at the woman and chuckled.

"If you do not see me as a threat, then why do you keep your distance? Why go through all the trouble to lure me, to intimidate and scare me?" Nanami hissed and pulled out two arrows.

Without any warning, Inuyasha leapt in front of Nanami, yelling something indistinguishable, and swung his sword at the demon. His attack sent up clouds of dirt and ashes.

-Imbecile… learn how to aim before attacking so carelessly!- Nanami grumbled to herself after Inuyasha almost hit her with his sword. She squinted and looked around. The black eyed man was now focused on evading the half demon's blows. Nanami decided it was the perfect chance to sneak up on the demon, now that he was distracted. -Not an honorable move, but that thing doesn't deserve to die a fair and honorable death.- Without a sound, Nanami sprinted behind the ruins of huts, trying her best to not pay attention to the dead in the streets. Soon, the noises of a battle broke out. She could hear Inuyasha roaring curses at the dark demon, then at Sesshomaru. Nanami stopped behind a partially collapsing, large building. She looked at the carcass of the structure and figured a way to climb up on the roof. The woman glanced toward her foe, just to make sure he hasn't spotted her. The dark demon was receiving blows from both sons of the great dog demon. He was simply toying with them, avoiding each attack by materializing in a cloud of black mist a few feet away. He was barraged nonstop with the power and strength of the attacks, but that of Sesshomaru had more affect than Inuyasha.

Nanami looked around and grabbed the wooden railing. She pulled herself up off the ground using the pillars to the roof and prowled to the front, closer to her opponent. She took the bow from her back and pulled out an arrow from her quiver. Nanami kneeled down at the edge and aimed. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were attacking the man on their own accord, careless about each other. Inuyasha's attack bellowed up above the perched woman, frustrating her even more. She aimed once more, and she wasn't sure her arrow would have any effect on the black eyed man, but it was worth a try.

Sesshomaru stood his ground and withheld his attack. He attempted to predict the demon's next location, yet he was careful enough to remain elusive. Inuyasha's careless and clumsy attacks only worsened the situation, making the black misted man jump locations more frequently.

"Now Nanami! NOW!" The dark eyed demon addressed the startled woman behind him holding an arrow torched with a white flame.

The comment distracted Nanami and a look of confused bewilderment crossed her face. A massive torrent of energy surged toward her and the demon. Sesshomaru decided to kill them both at the same time. Nanami barely dodged it by diving off and grabbing the rim of the roof on the adjacent building. Her body crashed through the wooden screen doors and fell to the floor, fragments of wood scattered about. She stayed still for a moment, trying to catch her breath, then slowly got up. Her body ached, but Nanami dismissed the pain and stormed out of the building, furious.

"Practice your aim you-" Nanami hissed at Sesshomaru but stopped when she saw that Inuyasha had obviously believed Tsuneo. Sesshomaru just likely used the situation as an excuse to kill her.

"So you managed to trick us. I knew we should have never trusted you." Inuyasha snarled. Nanami turned toward him with surprise written all over her face.

"I beg your pardon?"Nanami was astounded. "Are you really that senseless?"

"You're one of his minions! That's why he didn't kill you, or do any harm to you! This whole town and all the death is just an act! None of these people actually matter! You and this thing set up a trap, but it didn't pull through, did it? Sorry to say, but your partner just left!" Inuyasha shouted. However blue Nanami's eyes were, they now seemed to be full of a raging fire. She sheathed her sword and closed in on Inuyasha dangerously.

Sesshomaru was further away from everyone else and observed the situation. Nanami grabbed the half demon by the kimono and with all her might threw him to the ground, shouting. "You know nothing, you blind, ignorant, dim-witted stray dog!"

Inuyasha hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of him. He was shocked at her strength, but his stubborn character shook him out of his thoughts. He stood back up and barked back at her. "Stray?! Unlike you, my parents didn't dump me at some stranger's doorstep! I can decide between right and wr-" A harsh, forceful punch landed at a perfect angle to Inuyasha's nose. He fell back to the ground, bleeding.

"You know absolutely nothing ! You don't know what I have been through! How dare you ignorant half-demon whelp chastise me?! You are not even thinking about what you are saying! You will never feel the pain I feel, seeing the world fall apart, innocent people die, all because of the curse I carry! And yet you dare accuse me of allying with my enemy?!" Nanami shouted, her ring glowing brighter than ever. The building behind Inuyasha and the ground around him was burning in a strange, slowly moving white flame. Shippo began to panic, Miroku and Sango stared at Nanami with awe and fear. Sango was pleading for the woman to stop, but she didn't listen. The flames enclosed Inuyasha an grew taller. Sesshomaru was looking at the spectacle and his amber eyes lingered on her ring. -Is that where her power comes from?-

Inuyasha was getting more concerned about getting out alive, but remained stubborn and didn't show any emotion. -She's nothing but a good liar…-

The wall of fire died down just as quickly as it started. Nanami took a deep breath and her eyes were no longer filled with fury. She regained her composure and put on a stone cold, emotionless facade.

"Fine, believe what you will. But the truth will dawn upon you sooner or later." She spoke softly. "Do not cross paths with me again, it will only bring misfortune. " Nanami looked at Sango. "I warned you that something is bound to go wrong if I accompany you, but you refused to listen... Don't make the same mistake twice." With those words, Nanami began to walk away, but Sesshomaru was in her path. He didn't move, just looked at her. Her eyes met his scrutinizing gaze. -Are you going to lecture me as well? After you tried to kill me?- She stepped past him without saying a word.

"Good riddance! She wasn't needed anyway." Inuyasha said in a heartless tone. Sesshomaru began to walk away as well.

"Now wait a minute! You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" Miroku stopped the two brothers. "You broke your promises to your father!" Sesshomaru ignored the monk, but Inuyasha began to protest.

"I never made any promise!"

"Oh, really, you don't remember what she told you? 'Ally to one, enemy to another'? You are the one that took her under our wing. And now you're kicking her out because you think she might be Naraku's - or whatever it is- ally? That's absurd! Can't you see that we are being played? Our past is being used against us! Naraku was the thing that brought us all to a common cause…He's trying to distance us from her so that he can control her! So she would have other option but to kill us as we try to kill her... Am I the only one that sees that?!" Sango stepped in, frustrated with Inuyasha's newfound bitterness and anger. Miroku stood in deep thought, and Sesshomaru had deaf ears for them all and calmly continued on his way.

"Wait! You're part of this mess, Sesshomaru! Every encounter Nanami had involved you in some way too!" Sango seemed to have caught his attention.

"Earlier today, Nanami was cornered by that thing - Tsuneo he calls himself- and he tried to put a spell on her, using you, but it failed. She accused you of destroying her village and you told her that her blood was the ultimate prize."

Sesshomaru frowned at the demonslayer's words. Why would he ever bother with such pettiness?

"Her power runs in her blood, so that was without a doubt said by someone who desperately needs it. That does not describe you. He was counting on you to kill her or her to kill you. If he can't have her, he wants her dead." Sango reasoned.

"And why should I have a care?" The demon replied. Kagome was outraged.

"Forget it Sango. Sesshomaru doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself." Inuyasha motioned to Sesshomaru coldly.

"Humph." Miroku let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't be such a hypocrite. Not like you were much help. I guess your father could not trust either of you." Suddenly, Myoga jumped on Sango's shoulder.

"Miroku's right. You're both dim-witted fools. That demon can't get his hands on her." The flea announced.

"Oh, yeah? And what power does she have to offer him? Lighting sticks on fire?" Inuyasha scoffed.

"You buffoon. What you saw today was nothing- simply her weapon. You are no match for her... And she more than rivals you, Sesshomaru. She possesses immense power, but she is hesitant to ever reveal it. And for good reason. The young woman may be of less brute strength, but she yet lives... The great dog demon counted on at least one of you to aid her. Of course he knew that the two of you will be at odds, so he wanted both of you to swear the same oath. 'Protect the power that stands before you.' By power he meant Nanami. And, if I remember correctly, you swore the oath, Sesshomaru. Inuyasha, of course, did not…" Myoga made his point, glaring at the slightly shocked Sesshomaru. "You are her guardian."

Inuyasha's jaw dropped to the ground, and Sango raised her eyebrows.

"I swore to protect my power, not someone else's. The woman is none of my concern." Sesshomaru growled and walked away. No one bothered to stop him.

"We have to find Nanami. There is no way Sesshomaru will help her. We are her only option." Sango told the others.

"What? She said not to follow her, so forget it. We have to look out for our own skins after today. Besides, if she's so powerful she doesn't need protection." Inuyasha refused.

"She needs us, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru betrayed his father, will you do so too?" Sango attempted to persuade the half-demon.

"Hey, I didn't make any promise to my old man, so why should I fulfill Sesshomaru's?"

"But don't you want to make your father proud? Don't you want to be like him?" Miroku added.

"You're not gonna stop till I say yes, are you? Well that ain't happening!" Inuyasha grumbled. Sango gave him a cold look.

"Fine… Miroku and I will be on our way. Goodbye, Inuyasha." Sango began to walk away, following Nanami's steps.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Swallow your pride and help us or go on your own way." Miroku mumbled, his back to him. Inuyasha's face contorted with anger and annoyance. He grumbled a string of curses, but followed after his companions.

Nanami sat on a hill overlooking the burning village, her fingers twisting her ring round and round as she thought. Her storm gray eyes were fixed on the burned carcass of the town. -No one escapes the aftermath of my presence. Not even innocent little souls.- There was no point remaining here. She stood up and made her way away from the hellish remnant of a town. Direction had no matter, as long as it was away. After a while, Nanami calmed, arriving at a peaceful waterfall deep in the evening forest. The woman looked at her reflection in the water; she was covered in blood and her skin was salty with sea water. She inspected the area and made sure she was alone. Seeing no one around, Nanami set her quiver, bow and sword down on a flat rock next to the crystal clear pond. Then she remembered that all her belongings were on Teyn's saddle. Nanami whistled loudly and sat down on the rock, waiting for her horse to come. Within twenty minutes, Teyn trotted up to her, alone. In truth, she was relieved he came back unaccompanied.

Nanami stood up and walked up to Teyn, petting his mane. She opened a leather case on the saddle and pulled out a towel and a small glass bottle, setting them down on the flat rock afterwards. Nanami undressed and got into the water. She frowned and grit her teeth as the cold water caressed her legs. The woman took a deep breath and dived into the pond. The refreshing water cooled her off and cleared her mind. Her spirit was lifted a bit but her heart still ached. -Forget everything. You can't change the past. If it is fate, then let it be.- Nanami swam up to the rock where the bottle stood, pulled the stopper out and poured a small amount of viscous liquid into her palm. She tilted her head back to wet her hair and rubbed her palms together. The liquid foamed and she rubbed it into her hair and then washed it off. It smelled of roses, blossoms, honey, aloe and fruits. Nanami got out of the water, dried herself off and got dressed in clean clothes. She put on dark grey pants and boots, a simple form fitting undershirt and an oversized long sleeved sweater with a open shoulders.

A twig snapped behind Nanami, making her grab her bow and two arrows. One she had aimed, the other arrow was turned upside down in her hand holding the bow. She walked quietly to where the sound came from. She was about to shoot when she realized it was a child. "Rin! What are you doing here?" Nanami asked, pointing her weapon away from the child, a cold shiver running down her spine.

"I followed Teyn... Do you mind if I stay with you for now? Lord Sesshomaru left and has not come back, and Jaken has been gone for a really long time." Rin pleaded. Nanami knew that if she agreed, she would have to deal with Sesshomaru again, but she could not say no to the helpless girl.

"No, I would not mind. You can stay." She sighed. -Though I don't think I could stomach the sight of that demon…-

"Thank you!" Rin exclaimed and tackled the woman, wrapping her arms around her waist. Nanami smiled nervously, desperately wishing she would have never been found.

The woman rested under a cherry blossom tree, mourning the dead before she fell asleep from exhaustion. Rin washed up and cuddled next to Nanami, wrapping her arm around her. Nanami woke and was unsure of how alarmed and uncomfortable she was with the strange child, but she feigned sleep until sleep came.

A drop of water fell on the little girl's rosy cheek. She stirred and accidentally woke the woman. Rin rubbed her eyes while Nanami reached out her hand and caught the rain drops. Rin eyed the woman's stony expression and decided to lighten up her mood. She jumped up and pulled her hand.

"It's raining, Nanami!" Rin bolted away and twirled in circles in the warm rain. Nanami smiled, trying to suppress the feeling of awkwardness of having a stranger's child follow her.

"I can see that." Nanami couldn't help but smile at the child's whimsy. She stood up, walking out from the shelter of the tree and turned her face and palms upwards to the refreshing rain. The little girl's shrill giggles filled the air as she began to dance around the demon. Soon, Nanami was smiling and taking in the earthy smell of the forest and warm caress of the rain drops. The innocent joy of the little girl Rin reminded her so much of a girl she had rescued a long time ago; the very girl who she held lifeless in her arms hours ago.

Nanami suddenly stopped and looked around. -We are surrounded.- In the forest, soldiers were approaching. They were lesser demons, but there were many of them.

"Rin, go and hide. Take Teyn and go into the cave behind the waterfall. Wait for me there and make no noise. Understand?" Nanami commanded and walked the girl to the pond. Rin nodded and did as she was told. Nanami rushed back to the meadow to get her weapons. She was barely able to grab her bow and arrows in time before a dozen arrows landed near her. Nanami darted further away from the waterfall into the woods and hid behind an oak and looked back at her assailants.

She scoffed before stepping out from behind the tree and facing her attackers. They were weak, inexperienced demons. -Whoever sent this brigand is underestimating me…-

The posse of six stopped and looked at the young woman in their way. A few chuckles and a whole lot of lusty smirks came from the battalion.

"Now that's a prize fit for our leader! Look at that! Mmm..." One shouted excitedly, observing the woman.

"But she's not a demon!" Another mumbled.

"She ain't human either!" One more announced.

"Nah, she's a half demon, a delicious one at that!" Yet another demon proclaimed lustfully and cackled until an arrow landed right in his throat. He collapsed to the ground with a thud. Nanami nocked another arrow.

"I am not feeling very merciful at the moment, so you have one last chance to retreat and keep your lives." She growled at the bought troops.

"Ha! Flee from a mere woman because she is able to shoot an arrow? Not on your life. You will serve as entertainment for my master after we retrieve what he seeks... if you survive, that is." A burly demon grumbled and charged at Nanami with a triple-bladed axe. A sly smile crossed Nanami's lips.

The demon roared and swung at Nanami with his axe. She ducked it and stabbed the soldier in his eye socket with the arrow in her hand. Two more soldiers charged, and she shot both of them. A fourth demon attacked Nanami with a staff that had a long, sharp spike coming out of one end and three axe like blades on the other. Nanami dodged the weapon, twisted it out of his hands and slashed the demon in half. The six remaining troops met the same fate within a few minutes. But Nanami knew that was not the end of it. More skilled soldiers were gradually advancing closer. -Why are there so many of them? Are they really after me or someone else?- She pondered as she returned closer to where the waterfall was. Demons were scouring the area, looking for something. A short demon with black hair, red eyes and twisted horns was about to go into the cave where Rin was hiding. Nanami felt as if her stomach dropped to her ankles.

"Hey!" She shouted loudly and caught the demon's attention before hiding behind a tree. Nanami opened up a small pouch on her belt and allowed a few drops of rain to fall in. The powder began to release steam that concealed her scent. She ran from one tree to another, calling out to the demons, drawing them away from Rin. The soldiers fanned out, believing they would capture her faster. Nanami took advantage of their formation. Once one demon followed her voice farther from his allies, she snuck up on him and finished him off.

After a while, the whole brigade was dead. The attacks ceased and the forest fell silent, except for the sound of rain hitting the leaves. Nanami waited for a bit to make sure there was no trap, and when nothing happened, she walked back to the waterfall. She climbed into the cave only to find it abandoned. A wave of fear washed over her when she noticed a few drops of blood on the floor. Nanami darted out of the cave, frantically searching for the little girl. There was no sign of her, but the demons have returned. They surrounded her once more. Nanami ignored them as she trailed the wet hoof prints on the forest floor, but two hideous razor toothed demons blocked her view. The soldiers were getting on her nerves, and she was far too worried about the girl to pay any attention to them. She could only imagine the sort of hell Sesshomaru would unleash if he ever caught wind of Rin's escapade to see her and then her disappearance. She swung at the demons with the axe and broke the barricade. She maneuvered the weapon with precision and speed, the surviving soldiers exchanged troubled looks and called for aid.

Nanami followed the tracks, ignoring the grumbling mercenaries catching up to her. Loud pounding sounded from behind her. Whole bushes snapped and trees grumbled. Then it stopped and the forest fell silent. Nanami frowned and turned around. A dragon like creature stared at her through the rain. -Perfect. How can this day get any better?- Nanami growled to herself and began to back away slowly, the axe tightly in her hands. The beast lifted up its claws, the thick chains restraining it rattling loudly, and inhaled a sizable gulp of air. Its gullet glowed and crackling came from within as the creature's head began to shake subtly. Nanami cringed and sprinted off as fast her legs could carry her. She heard the roar of the creature as it sent fire and lightening her way. Nanami whirled round and leapt toward the dragon, dropping flat onto the ground as the the creature spewed its death orb right past her. The forest behind her splintered and creaked as it was engulfed with flames. Nanami scrambled up and bolted off to the side before the dragon could attempt to kill her again. Yet before she could sprint full speed, she was forced to halt to a full stop to avoid her obstacle. -How can this day get better? Here's my answer…- Nanami scowled.

"Move." The cold voice commanded.

"On the contrary, I suggest you move." Nanami panted back.

"Fool." The demon growled and leapt past Nanami toward the dragon. The woman glowered at Sesshomaru. -Fine. The dragon is your problem now.- She shrugged from the increasingly cold rain and continued the search for Rin, ignoring the sound of clashing metal and Sesshomaru's onslaught. She returned to the disappearing trail of hooves and followed it. Soon, she heard the little girl's voice not too far away and sprinted toward her. Nanami saw her up on a hill standing under the leaves of a large oak tree and humming. The foreigner sighed and walked to the girl.

"Don't move. " A man's voice said.

Nanami whirled around to see a demon with short, dark brown hair and burgundy eyes. He was aiming an arrow at her forehead. Suddenly he turned and shot Rin. Nanami tried to run to the girl but the demon grabbed her arm. "Wait. Watch." His deep voice ordered.

Rin let out an unearthly shriek and transformed into an enormous black raven, swirled in mist. It flew up and out of sight for a moment, then returned out of nowhere and knocked Nanami to the ground unconscious.

Sesshomaru got rid of the dragon easy enough and the rest of the army fled on sight. He trailed Rin's scent until he found her deep in the woods, sitting on Nanami's horse, crying and clutching her arm.

"Rin." Sesshomaru said quietly. She bolted upright and jumped off the horse. She ran to Sesshomaru and wrapped her arms around his leg.

"Lord Sesshomaru! I was so scared! The soldiers almost killed me..." Rin cried. Sesshomaru gently placed his hand on her head while his eyes scanned for any threats. His attention was brought back down to Rin's left arm. She was bleeding.

Sesshoumaru's focus left Rin once he sensed a demonic aura approaching. The child was staring in horror at something behind Sesshomaru. She let go of him and backed up a few steps.

"That's him! He hurt me and chased after Nanami!" She said in a terrified whisper. Sesshomaru turned around and saw a demon with short brown hair and dark red eyes. He had a smug grin on his face and a wanton look in his eye as he beheld the unconscious woman in his arms. The man looked up and turned toward Sesshomaru, who already had his sword drawn. The soldier smirked and looked down at Nanami, bitting his lower lip and smiling.

"She must be of some value to you, huh?" The demon's gaze returned to Sesshomaru. "Is that why you killed the dragon for her and why you intend to fight now?"

"No. That is not the reason for which you will die." Sesshomaru responded completely emotionless. "I have no care for what happens with that woman." Rin looked up at her guardian with unsettled eyes.

Nanami's lashes stirred and she began to regain consciousness. Before she could even form a cohesive thought, the demon used her as a shield against Sesshomaru's sword. She barely let out a scream when his sword stopped right under her chin. Sesshomaru stared at the panting girl and drew the blade away.

"Liar." The purple-eyed demon smirked. Thinking he could elicit another protective reaction from Sesshomaru, he hit Nanami in a pressure point on her stomach. She let out a soft groan and doubled over, breathless. The man was still holding her by her jaw. Sesshomaru remained emotionless, but his eyes were on the girl the entire time. The soldier pulled Nanami up by her jaw, holding it tightly. She winced and a pained moan crossed her lips. The man chuckled and whispered into her ear. "I'll be hearing something a bit sweeter tonight…" Nanami lost her temper and her elbow hit the man in his throat. He let her go and clutched his neck. Nanami fell to the ground in front of Sesshomaru. His sword was about to run through the aggressor's chest when the man let out a yell.

"I'm a messenger!" He thrust his hands upwards in a defensive motion. "I come with a message from someone who used to be of great importance to you, Sesshomaru."

"Who sent you?" Sesshomaru growled.

"Do you not remember me, Sesshomaru?" The messenger asked through grit teeth. The demon remained still and silent. Seeing no reply, the messenger decided to speak once more. "I take that as a no. But no matter... yet." The purple-eyed demon tried to move toward Nanami, sprawled on the ground, panting to regain her breath and senses. The sharpened edge of Sesshomaru's sword stopped him. Nanami briefly glanced upwards at the silver demon. -So now all of a sudden you're on my side?-

"I remember hearing you say you didn't care for this woman, so why all the protectiveness?" The messenger smirked.

"I am your concern, not her. She has no part in this." Sesshomaru answered coldly.

"Actually... she is a very big part of this. Do you not know who she is? Do you not remember her?" As soon as the man finished the phrase, Nanami turned and awarded him a suspecting glare, yet said no word. She looked at Sesshomaru with a questioning gaze, not recognizing anything familiar about him. The man's amber eyes remained on the messenger.

"Huh. How ironic... You two used to be so-" The man did not finish the sentence, just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "And Nanami... oh, Nanami... I never wanted to lose you."

Sesshomaru shot a glance at Nanami. Shock was written all over her face. She stood up and hissed at the messenger. "Delusional brute. I've never seen you."

"You haven't changed a bit... personality wise at least." Then the soldier stared at Nanami standing next to Sesshomaru. From his angle, she looked like she was hiding behind the man's outstretched sword. "Doesn't this sight bring back old memories... But enough chit-chat. You want to know who sent me? You want to know why part of your memory is locked from you?" The soldier questioned. Then he pointed to a small glowing dot on top of a mountain in the distance. "Be there in two days at sundown."

Nanami remained suspicious about the soldier's intent. "What's in it for you? Why all the secrecy?"

The messenger smiled and walked away into to the night.

Sesshomaru and Nanami were both stumped at the message. They stood in silence, thinking about what just happened. Finally Nanami turned and walked over to Teyn, hiding the ache in her body, and grabbed a medicine bag. She swiftly tended to Rin's arm, with Sesshomaru observing her. Nanami could feel the demon's eyes transfixed on her, causing her skin to crawl with uneasiness. But then a sly smile crossed her lips.

"You broke your promise twice in one evening." Her voice reached Sesshomaru. His eyes spoke on their own; their puzzlement meant he had forgotten. She stood up and turned, resting her hands on her waist.

"You said that if I was ever in your way again, you would kill me. You did nothing back with the dragon but tell me to move, call me a fool and rid me of my attacker. Just now, I prevented you from killing that beast and you spared me and let him escape... Why?"

Sesshomaru seemed to be caught off guard.

"I spared you twice because you saved Rin twice." He quickly recovered, most convincingly.

"How long are you going to use her as an excuse?" Nanami fired back. Sesshomaru awarded her a death glare, but it did not unnerve the woman.

"You must have gotten that glaring habit from your mother. You father rarely ever did that." She commented and turned back to Rin.

"And how would you know that?" Jaken's voice squeaked.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru growled. "Stay out of it."

"Let's just say that Sesshomaru's mother had feelings of slight discontent toward me." Nanami answered the imp.

"How do you know my family?" The man questioned.

"Family requires love and compassion for it to be a family. Your parents lost those feelings for each other even before your brother was born. And you, somehow, do not seem to have any feelings at all. You have a heart of stone... So how can you be part of a family?"

"Answer the question." Sesshomaru was getting irritated with the woman's wisecracking and insults.

"Then you must first answer mine... Why did you spare me and go against your oath? It cannot be because of a stroke of good conscience?"

-I do not know why... but I'm starting to regret my decision.- Sesshomaru kept his thoughts to himself.

"Shouldn't you be thankful that I spared you, instead of taking away your pathetic existence?" The man retorted.

"Pathetic-" Nanami brows arched in offense.

"Rumors are always deceiving."

Jaken frowned at the two arguing demons. -All they are doing is firing questions and insults at each other. Why doesn't Lord Sesshomaru silence that disrespectful little witch?-

"I beg your pardon?" Nanami hissed.

"If you are as powerful as you are rumored to be, then why is Tsuneo still breathing? ... How can a pathetic excuse for a demon like you be more powerful than anything to be found in this land?" Sesshomaru scoffed.

"You are one to talk…You encountered him more than I have and yet he doesn't seem to fear you at all. So much for possessing the same power as your father. You are no stronger than your half-demon brother Inuya-" In a mere second, Nanami was rammed into the trunk of large oak, swallowing the remainder of her sentence. Sesshomaru's eyes spelled murder, but Nanami thought otherwise. She pretended to throw a punch at the demon and when he grabbed her arm, she kicked him in his side. It barely had an affect because of the armor. She freed her right hand and grabbed a dagger from her belt. She tried to kick him again, but Sesshomaru grabbed her leg around the knee. Nanami seized the opportunity and hacked off his armor so that he would be more vulnerable. Sesshomaru threw Nanami to the ground, his eyes a burning red color. He glanced at his torn up armor that dangled at his waist and decided to get rid of it. He tore the rest of it off and threw it to the ground behind him. Rin was hiding behind a tree and staring at Sesshomaru wide-eyed.

Nanami stood perfectly still and straight, her fists clenched, staring right into Sesshomaru's demon eyes.

"What makes you so confident?" Sesshomaru asked in a voice more sinister than his own, disgusted with her boldness.

"Because you underestimate me." Nanami growled back. Her eyes flickered wickedly. "To your own misfortune."

Sesshomaru's glare became more violent and angered than before. His hand tensed and his claws began to glow and emit a poison.

"She's a goner!" Jaken wheezed as he observed the fight.

Sesshomaru lashed his poison whip at Nanami, but she smiled roguishly, catching the whip in her hand, letting it wrap around her fingers, and burned it before it could poison her. Sesshomaru was irritated enough with the foreigner to begin with, but now she was driving him up a wall. He let out a low growl and inched closer to her. Nanami decided to stop teasing and start fighting. She moved stealthily and just as swift as Sesshomaru, to his surprise. She threw a forceful fist at the pressure point on his chest right below his sternum before whirling around him and slashing at his back. Even though Sesshomaru was able to dodge most blows and threw Nanami to the ground or at a tree several times, he himself tasted the dirt more than he would he would have dared to admit. Nanami had one advantage in the situation; Sesshomaru could not recognize her moves and was unsure of how to block her. She was a predator toying with its pray before dealing the fatal blow.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken shouted on top of his lungs. Sesshomaru turned to Jaken fiercely, his eyes wild and enraged. Jaken turned pale and swallowed a lump in his throat, pointing with a shaky finger to the side. Sesshomaru realized he had unwanted visitors, and he was barely able to control his annoyance. -Damn you, Inuyasha.- Nanami took advantage of the distraction. She turned in place and kicked his legs out from under him. He fell to the ground and Nanami was kneeling over him in an instant, a dagger at his throat. Sesshomaru growled and with his arm swiftly knocked the woman to the side on the ground. She groaned as her back hit the cold, hard ground with tremendous force. The demon grabbed her neck and squeezed just enough to torment her without threatening her life. His other hand pinned her wrists above her head. His knee pressed her right upper leg over her left, into the ground, ensuring that she would not try anything. At this moment, Miroku and Inuyasha showed up at the scene. Inuyasha's eye twitched violently and his jaw dropped to the floor, while Miroku slumped and mumbled "What in the h-"

Nanami was trying to breathe as though she was unfazed, and she kept her gaze fixed on the demon. Sesshomaru was ready to rip the girl's throat out and drench the ground with her blood, but something held him back. He looked at the stranger and had an unexplainable feeling of déjà vu. His menacing expression faded and his eyes returned to their characteristic cold gold. Her eyes seemed to be so familiar, calling out to him from the past. Focusing on her scent evoked a strange vision.

A very young woman dressed in a floating dark blue kimono stood knee deep in the waves of the sea, the full moon illuminating her. The girl's golden hair was pinned up elegantly with beautiful, bejeweled silver pins and combs. She resembled Nanami so closely, yet she was different. More frail, but with happiness in her eyes. She turned her head toward Sesshomaru and raised her hand elegantly, gesturing him to take it. Sesshomaru could only hear two foreign words before someone came up from behind the girl and grabbed her, covering her mouth, and slitting her throat... Sesshoumaru was startled back to reality, with Nanami's perplexed face staring back at him.

Nanami was disturbed by the way Sesshomaru was just staring at her, not moving, not saying a word. -What is wrong with him? Why is he doing that?-

Sesshomaru stood up, still holding her by her neck and easily bringing her up with him. His fingers let go of her and he continued to glare at her, completely bewildered by what just transpired.

"Am I missing something? What's going on here?" Inuyasha blurted out. Sango was asking the same question in her mind. -Sesshomaru is not even trying to harm her now. What made him stop?-

"What the hell Sesshomaru? First you wanted to kill her, and now we find you gaping at the girl like a freakin' creep-" Inuyasha barked.

"Shut up, Inuyasha." Sango ordered, forming an idea of what was taking place.

"You have a tendency to show up in the wrong place, at the wrong time. And you lack the mental capacity to think beyond what you you see, little brother." Sesshomaru scowled and turned his anger toward Inuyasha.

"Oh, yeah, you degenerate scumbag?! Explain all this then!" Inuyasha yelled back, seeing Sesshomaru's shirt pulled apart almost completely, his upper body speckled with red marks and gleaming in the rain. Sango's eyes fixed on the demon and stayed there for a moment, then she turned her attention back to Inuyasha.

"Stop being so dull, Inuyasha. Can't you see that they really were about to kill each other?" Sango then turned toward Sesshomaru once more. "Until something stopped you."

Rin came up to Sesshomaru and tugged on his sleeve. "Lord Sesshomaru, Nanami is leaving." He turned around and looked for the woman. She was standing a few yards away, alone in the night. The man felt a sharp pain in his forearm and looked down at it. Blood stained the white sleeve and there was a deep gash in his arm. The blade in Nanami's hand grazed his arm when he pushed her off. The throbbing pain intensified. Sesshomaru was dumbfounded; this was merely a scratch. He looked at the woman once more. The storm clouds dissipated and a little of moon light illuminated the area. Nanami's gray eyes found Rin, who was about to panic.

"Forgive me, Rin. But he has brought this upon himself. The poisoned blade was not meant for you, Sesshomaru. I stopped from slitting your throat for that reason... You only have a few minutes left." Nanami said quietly. She pitied the little girl. Nonetheless, he was her attacker. Sesshomaru showed no sign of pain or worry, but underneath his invincible exterior, he could feel his body succumbing to something coursing through his veins. He couldn't understand, his blood and body were immune to poison. Nanami was walking away, while Rin was crying hysterically and hugging Sesshomaru. Sango and Miroku all looked troubled. Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"He's got nothin to worry about." Inuyasha said, pretending to be unconcerned, but his eyes remained fixed on his elder. Sesshomaru stood silent. -Impossible… poison has no effect on me. What was on that blade?-

"Alyona." Sesshomaru said calmly. He knew he was about to lose consciousness, if not his life, but the word stopped Nanami in her tracks. He didn't know what it meant, or how he even knew the word, or where it came from. She whirled around and took a few steps toward the man.

"What did you say?" She asked wide-eyed. -How could he know- Before he could answer, Sesshomaru collapsed to the ground. Rin let out a deafening shriek and dropped to her knees next to Sesshomaru, bawling hysterically. Inuyasha sighed and put the tensaiga in Sesshomaru's hand. Nothing happened. "What the-"

Nanami was torn in half about what she would do. -Should I spare him with the antidote now and be forced to kill him later... or stop wasting time and get it over with now?- She had a strong feeling that if she spared Sesshomaru, he would hunt her down and kill her first. But if she kills him now, Rin would be left heartbroken and all alone. Something else tore at Nanami's conscience. She would not be able to forgive herself for taking the life of a man who could have taken hers in an instant, but refused to, several times over. He had never even wronged her so as to deserve death. And yet, in mere minutes, he would be gone from this world…

Nanami shook her head and rolled her eyes, feeling she would pay dearly for this if the man woke ever again. She walked over to Sesshomaru, but immediately looked up at Inuyasha and his group. "Leave… Please." The woman asked, but they all stood still and stared at her.

"Now." She demanded loudly and sternly, pulling out her sword, enshrouded in a white flame. Inuyasha refused to budge, but Sango grabbed his arm and pleaded him to leave. Finally, they departed.

Nanami stuck the sword into the ground to illuminate the area.  
>"Rin. On Teyn's saddle there is a silver flask of water and near it is a small bag. Can you please bring it to me?"<p>

Rin complied and ran over to get the supplies, sniffling and stifling a few cries. Nanami picked up Sesshomaru's forearm and gently pulled up the sleeve with her hand. She lowered his arm down slowly and felt his pulse. It was very fast though hardly palpable, but at least he was still alive... for now. She grabbed the sheath of the poison dagger and pulled out a tiny glass vial from the small compartment hidden on the sheath's underside. She stared at it for a few seconds, debating her actions, before putting it down on the ground next to the man's shoulder. She looked at Sesshomaru's face and placed her slender hand on his forehead. He was burning up. She brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. -Terrible time to notice how attractive you are.- Nanami blushed bright red, mentally slapping herself for thinking such thoughts of her enemy. -I don't even get along with him, or tolerate him for that matter... then why am I saving him?- Nanami shook her head before she changed her mind about the antidote.

Rin brought her the flask and the bag. Nanami took out a cloth she had used as a towel and soaked it in the remaining water.

"Lord Sesshomaru! What happened, Milord?!" Jaken squealed, skidding to a stop by the man's feet. The imp had just woken up from Inuyasha's trampling over him while Nanami and Sesshomaru were fighting.

"Jaken, bring me some cold water from the stream. Hurry." Nanami shoved the empty flask into the green demon's hands. Jaken scrambled out of sight toward the river. Nanami opened the vial and moved closer to Sesshomaru's head. She slid an arm under his shoulders, but realized she could not lift him up with just one hand. The woman handed Rin the antidote, asking her to hold it. She put her other arm under his right shoulder and pulled him up so that he was lying in her lap. Nanami took the antidote from the girl and placed her left hand on his jaw and opened his mouth. She slowly and carefully poured about one fourth of the antidote and closed the vial.

"Why are you not giving Lord Sesshomaru all the medicine?" Rin wondered.

"An overdose of the antidote would kill him even faster than the poison. He has to drink one fourth of it every six hours until this time tomorrow." Nanami answered and put Sesshomaru back down on the ground. She cleansed his wound thoroughly and bandaged it tightly. Jaken finally arrived with the flask. Nanami soaked the rag with the cold water and softly dabbed Sesshomaru's face before placing the folded cloth on his forehead. He began to shiver slightly.

Nanami stood up and retrieved a dark, fur lined cloak she wore during cold weather. She threw the spread out cloak over Sesshomaru and wrapped it around his broad shoulders. She quickly gathered some wood, thinking about how Sesshomaru could possibly know what he told her. -Is it possible that he knows me? If so, then why do I not remember him?-

When Nanami returned, Rin was sitting near Sesshomaru, wrapped in the furpelt hanging off his armor. Nanami lit a camp fire and sat down, leaning against the trunk of a tree.

"Will Lord Sesshomaru be alright?" Rin asked innocently while scooting closer to Nanami.

"Yes." The woman replied. -Maybe... if his body can resist the poison.-

"I will pray for him anyway." Rin said happily and did as she said.

-What have I done?- Nanami sighed. -Rin practically worships Sesshomaru, and yet I take his life and crush it in my hands. What kind of monster am I?-

"Rin... I am sorry this happened. But if it wasn't for you, I would have killed him. You saved him."

"Lord Sesshomaru should not have been so hasty." Rin crawled over to Nanami and wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. Nanami couldn't believe the child's innocent and forgiving nature. She hugged Rin and took one last look at Sesshomaru before closing her eyes. -He will snap my spine in half when he comes to... if he does that is.-

An entire, uneventful day and two nights had passed. It was sunrise and Rin was fidgeting around in her sleep when she suddenly let out a shriek. Nanami jolted up right, her eyes blinking sleep away.

"Sorry. Bad dream." Rin giggled nervously. Nanami closed her eyes and sighed, calming her racing heart. A rustle and a quiet, pained groan sounded from behind Rin. Nanami's eyes fluttered open and she turned toward the disturbance, only to see Sesshomaru frowning in his sleep. She walked over to him and sat down next to his arm. Nanami pulled up the sleeve and looked at his bandages; they needed to be changed. She began to untie the knot when she heard a threatening low growl. She glanced at the demon, who was now awake and glaring at her with those cold eyes, and ignored him. His hand grabbed Nanami's wrist tightly. Nanami tried to pry her arm out of his crushing grasp to no avail.

"Let go of me..." Nanami murmured. Sesshomaru stood, showing no pain, bringing Nanami up with him. Her hand was starting to get a tingling feeling and her skin was turning purple. She could feel his claws emerge and dig into her skin and draw blood. On top of it, the poison was beginning to burn her skin. "Stop, Sesshomaru!" She growled. The man's eyes turned fire red and he slammed the woman against a tree, the bark biting at her back.

"Give me a reason. You tried to kill me. You should have done so, because I will not be so merciful." He spoke in a voice cold enough to freeze water.

Rin stared in horror at Sesshomaru. It wasn't like him to act this way. The little girl wanted to stop him from hurting Nanami, but she was afraid that she might get herself into trouble. Nanami couldn't hold back the pain any longer. She could not feel her fingers and palm, her wrists were trickling blood and her skin burning inside out with the poison. Nanami shut her eyes, bit her lip and whimpered. "I was only trying to heal you!"

Another growl came from Sesshomaru and he grabbed her neck, his fingers tightening in a deathly grip. She could feel her skin burn and her breath shorten. Tears welled up in Nanami's eyes as her hands her clutched his arm desperately.

"Stop!" Rin yelled at the top of her lungs. "Lord Sesshomaru stop!" There was a tearing sound and blood poured through Sesshomaru's fingers and over his wrists. Nanami franticly clawed at his wrists, choking quietly before she finally gave up.

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed to their amber hue, the menacing expression replaced by one of shock. He seemed to not be aware of his actions. Nanami's tears slid down her cheeks and onto his fingers. He looked at his hand, covered in blood, scorching the young woman's neck. Sesshomaru loosened his grip and pulled his hand away. Nanami's body buckled to the ground. He seemed disgusted with his inability to remember what had transgressed. The skin around her wrist where his fingers were was completely gone, raw flesh exposed, not to mention the fatal damage he inflicted to her neck, blood soaking her clothes and pooling around her. Sesshomaru stared wide-eyed at what he has done, frozen solid in disbelief and horror. He felt pity toward the woman; she didn't deserve it after all. Sesshomaru turned and walked toward his sword, lying next to Rin. The little girl, scared out of her wits by what she just saw, scrambled backwards away from Sesshomaru and hid behind a tree, sobbing hysterically. He felt shame and remorse build up inside of him as he grabbed his tensaiga. The man walked back to Nanami and stopped in front of her, unable to block out the horrid sound of her futile attempts to breathe. She was already in shock, trembling and feeling weaker by the second. She started to lean, to her left side, ready to fall, but Sesshomaru crouched down and caught her with his arm. Her eyes were filled with panic and fear. As much as she didn't want to be even near this man, Nanami's body gave up on her. Sesshomaru's eyes widened and jaw tightened. He got a better grip of the girl's shoulders and let her body rest gently against his arm. -I should let her die…- He felt warm blood trickle down his forearm from her neck. It kept pooling around the girl, and she lost consciousness. Her heart was beating weaker and weaker with each passing moment. The pain was slowly fading away. Her heart beat one last time, oddly enough in rhythm with the man who killed her. It was the end, no more pain, no more worries, no more tears, until the cold steel of a blade cut through her body and escaped again. A burst of energy filled Nanami's heart and revived it. Her eyes shot open, a raspy gasp escaped her lips and her wounds began to heal at an unearthly pace. Her fingers were clutching Sesshomaru's kimono. He didn't say a word, or show any reaction, just tightened his grip to stop her squirming as he stared off into the distance behind Nanami. After several agonizing minutes and raspy breathing, Nanami's heart returned to a normal pace. She looked at her trembling arm, not a mark left from her awful wound. She clutched her neck and felt no open wounds, no gushing arteries. Nanami regained some of her power and strength, and out of confusion pushed Sesshomaru off with tremendous force, and stood up, panting. Sesshomaru showed no reaction or emotion, just had a blank stare at nothing. Nanami began backing up, trying to understand what was happening. She checked her torso for where she thought the blade had cut her and saw nothing. Her gaze merged to the sword in Sesshomaru's hand; it had an ephemeral glow and not a drop of blood on it. Nanami's horror and confusion escalated even further with the sight of the pool of blood. She stumbled backwards further into the woods, with Sesshomaru tracking her out of the corner of his eyes. A sharp pain struck her on the back of her neck before everything went black again. This time Sesshomaru looked at what was happening. The mahogany-eyed messenger stood before the demon once more, the woman in his arms.

"I should have known I couldn't possibly trust you not to kill her before hand." He lectured before turning and walking deeper into the forest. Sesshomaru scowled and rushed to the spot where the messenger aught have been, but there was no sight of him.

"You would do best to be at the castle by sundown... otherwise you just might never see her again. Nor ever remember what truly happened." The messenger's voice echoed from nowhere.

Sesshomaru growled. "If I had a care...Take her." But his eyes betrayed him.

"Ha. Who are you trying to convince, Sesshomaru? Me ... or yourself?" Silence fell on the forest and there was no trace of the messenger or Nanami. Sesshomaru had an itch to rip the man to shreds, but he didn't let himself follow his instincts. He let out a low, angered growl and grabbed his sword.

"Wait, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called after her guardian. She stretched her hand out, holding a small vial. "Nanami said you have to take this once every six hours. One fourth of it. It's medicine."

Sesshomaru frowned but accepted the antidote nonetheless. He looked at the young girl, still frightened, and his heart clenched with guilt.

"Stay here with Jaken." He said softly, not knowing what else to tell he bolted off toward the mountain with the castle perched on top of it.

Rin's fidgeted with her kimono and sat down, thinking. After a long, awkward silence she looked at Jaken and stood up. "Let's get some fish, master Jaken."

It was well past noon, and Sesshomaru finally reached the valley right at the foot of the mountain. His eyes widened as he saw the grandeur of the palace and recognized the location. He knew who it belonged to. How could he not? It was rightfully his after the death of his father. -Why here?- Sesshomaru scowled and continued walking.

Back at the camp, Rin was nervously weaving flowers into a crown to keep her mind off of her fear and Jaken was mumbling something to himself. Inuyasha arrived at the clearing, analyzing the campsite. His eyes fixed on the pool of crimson next to the trunk of the tree. -I knew I smelled her blood…-

"What the hell happened here? Where's the girl? And Sesshomaru?"

"Lord Sesshomaru went to go save Lady Nanami." Rin answered quietly.

"Save her from what?"

"The bad man."

Inuyasha looked at the girl awkwardly. -The bad man? And who the hell would that be?-

"Inuyasha! ...Inuyasha!" Sango's voice grew louder. He turned around and saw her jump off of Kilala. She rushed at him, something in her eyes revealed she was appalled.

"I know what happened! Myoga was spying on them and told me everything!" She rushed her words out. Then she started reciting the whole story about Nanami curing Sesshomaru, then the incident about him burning and dowsing the grounds with her blood.

"He KILLED her?" Inuyasha burst out "What the hell-"

"He didn't seem at all like himself. He was transforming. Similar to when your demon side takes over... and you remember nothing and you destroy everything in your path." Sango explained. Miroku ventured into the campsite, already aware of the story.

"He was completely clueless when he came to. Whatever she poisoned him with was potent enough to overwhelm his body. He's immune to our poisons, yet she is foreign… He seemed shocked with himself- then she died..." Sango reluctantly eyed the pool of blood at the edge of the camp. "Sesshomaru revived her. And that's when Myoga ran off. Because Sesshomaru kept staring at where he was. ... Inuyasha? Are you alright?" Sango asked, concerned. Inuyasha looked pale and as if he was about to choke up a hairball.

"Ok, what's happening? Inuyasha?-"

He burst out laughing, not able to hold in his feelings of smugness at his self-proclaimed, perfect elder brother's downward spiral toward weakness and savagery.

"See, what'd I tell ya? He's lost it. He's no invincible demon. Cruel, heartless, selfish son of a b-"

"What's gotten into that man? I thought he wanted to kill Nanami. And his behavior is... unexplainable." Sango interrupted Inuyasha's gloating, leaving him fuming.

"His behavior has changed since that woman appeared. But then again, she is a rare beauty." Miroku added lustfully, stroking his chin as if he were in deep thought. "I would change too." That was the last thing he said before being knocked out cold by Sango.

The half demon caught onto Miroku's insinuation; he twitched and started to make the same sound a dog does before it vomits. He then took a deep breath and shook his hand, as if saying 'I'm alright...'

"Whatever. Sesshomaru wouldn't see beautiful if it slapped him across his face. Everything is inferior and weak and pathetic to him. No. There's something else here. It can't be that simple." Inuyasha grumbled, sniffing around for his brother's trail.

"I think you may be right. I do not think it's her looks nor amiable feelings that have him on edge. She's a threat and she knew your father. That has to get under his skin." Sango mused, her eyes drawn to the menacing pool of red.

"I got his scent." Inuyasha muttered and bolted off, his companions following him.

Jaken looked after their dust trail. "What was that all about? And how dare they speak of Lord Sesshomaru that way?!... But then again, Lord Sesshomaru has been acting very unpredictably. Like today."

"I think I know why Lord Sesshomaru has changed." Rin announced.

"Why?" Jaken asked out of curiosity. Rin giggled and cocked her head to the side like a parrot.

"He likes Lady Nanami."

Jaken choked on his own tongue. "Silly girl! Lord Sesshomaru has no time for such petty is no way that could be true!"

"Why not? So what if he likes her? She's pretty and smart. I like her."

"But she's a-a-a weakling, a woman!" Jaken protested. He realized what he just said was plain wrong and outrageous, but before he could correct himself, Rin popped a ridiculous question.

"She's not weak. She's just as strong as Lord Sesshomaru, isn't she? Are you saying he should like strong men?" The child of course, had no clue about what she had just said. Jaken's eye twitched and he fell on his back, groaning from the mental image that unwillingly came to his mind. "Oh… Do-ugh-not say anything else Rin."

"Alright, Master Jaken."

It was nearly dusk and Sesshomaru was hardly past halfway up the mountain. He was not fully recovered yet to risk using his powers, so he had to get to his destination the old fashioned way: walking. Even more so, the time allowed him to process all that had transgressed. It also provided him with the comfort of knowing he could turn back any moment, writing this all off as a nightmare. He had not felt so drained for a long time. Sesshomaru stopped and took out the stopper from the vial and drank the antidote, then continued climbing.

One more hour passed, and then another, and another. Finally, Sesshomaru reached the entrance to the castle. The guards awarded him a scrutinizing glance, but let him pass. Memories were rekindled as he entered the city gates. The paths were shaded with ancient trees and luxurious homes were aglow with the lanterns and were surrounded with marvelous gardens. A dog demon couple that was sitting on a bench threw him an awkward look, then continued chatting. Sesshomaru walked across a decorated bridge toward the palace he used to reside in as a child, surrounded by a crystal clear lake, whispering waterfalls and lantern lit gardens. He entered the palace and walked through the grand hall to the only room with light still in it.

"You're late, Sesshomaru." A woman's voice echoed from the shadows. Sesshomaru scoped out the room; no one was there, only shelves full of scrolls, books, paintings and fans on the wall, collections of antiquities and weapons. A beautiful, silver haired woman emerged from the shadows. She had a crescent moon mark on her forehead and a fur pelt draped from her arms on top of an ornate purple kimono.

"Welcome home, my son."

"Why have you called for me, mother?" Sesshomaru returned coolly, though surprised to see his mother. He had to remind himself that he was in his childhood home.

"A warm greeting…Remember who you speak with, Sesshomaru. I am your mother, and you will treat me with the respect I deserve."

"I am. After the last time we saw each other…" He said, remembering Rin's death.

"Stubborn like your father..." The woman hissed. "Follow me." She strolled into the adjacent room, with no furniture except for a coal pit. What Sesshomaru saw frustrated, stunned and shocked him. His eyes immediately fell on Nanami, shackled in heavy, rusty chains, but she was dressed in an extraordinary black and blue kimono and her hair was elegantly pinned up and decorated with combs. She was stunning. A graceful, deadly beauty, shackled and restrained in the hands of a pitiful, hideous, cowardly black eyed demon. Sesshomaru was furious with the sight of him and the knowledge that his own mother co-conspired with the beast. He could feel his hands reach for his sword, ready to slaughter everyone, maybe even Nanami, just to be rid of their nuisance.

"Well, well, well. Sesshomaru, old friend, you didn't expect this did you?" The messenger walked up to Nanami, but he stared at Sesshomaru. Then he turned toward the woman and brushed his thumb over her lips. Nanami scowled and turned away. There was nothing more that she wanted to do than make him choke on his own fingers.

"Remember the day when this all began?... We were sitting in the shade of an oak tree after the training session, joking around, laughing, when your father brought this ... goddess of disaster into the field. This woman ruined everything both of us had... she butchered your family and betrayed both of us. This siren…" The messenger pointed to Nanami, tears cascading down her cheeks, lips trembling. "No..." She whispered. Her eyes had changed; she now looked on to him as someone she had known for ages, not as she had seen him hours ago - a stranger.

Sesshomaru frowned at the crying woman, disturbed by her familiarity. His mother swiftly placed her thumbs on Sesshomaru's temples. There was a sharp pain and memories flooded him, hurling him back centuries into his past.


	3. Forgotten

Sesshomaru remembered himself sitting under an oak tree, resting from his father's rigid training session. Next to him was the messenger, panting and grumbling. They were young - hardly grown men.  
>"Your... father... is insane!" He barely managed to protest between heavy breaths.<br>"Now imagine living with him..." Sesshomaru replied and whistled. He loved his father to death, but there were just some things that he did that drove him up a wall.  
>"Heh. No, thanks, I'll pass... I cannot wait until the Autumn Festival tonight! Ahh, the girls, the food, the girls! Are you coming?"<br>"You ask as if I have a choice..." Sesshomaru said before taking a greedy gulp of cold water from his canteen. The messenger smirked evilly and shifted closer to Sesshomaru, who gave him an especially awkward glare.  
>"You know, Harumi will be anxiously waiting your arrival... Mmmmmeaow..." The man said in a sultry voice and leaned in closer to Sesshomaru. The demon stared at his friend with a disgusted look and smashed the canteen over the messenger's head. The man clutched his head, but laughed hysterically.<br>"It was a joke, dammit!"  
>"Your sense of humor is pathetic at best."<br>"Come on, Sess-chan, you know she worships you and she is gorgeous."  
>"Don't ever call me that. Don't you remember what happened last time, Ryuu?" Sesshomaru smirked.<br>"I'm still getting splinters out of my ass..." Ryuu chuckled and nodded.  
>"I still think I did not hit you hard enough... And yes, she is beautiful, but once she starts talking, I have a sudden urge to hold her under water until all the bubbles stop..."<br>"Well aren't you the gentleman?"  
>"Can't help it."<br>"Who's that?" Ryuu motioned to Sesshomaru's father walking back to the fields with a young man. They stopped on the shore of a pond with a waterfall and talked for a little while. Inu no Taisho crossed his massive arms over his chest and muttered something. The young man slumped and dropped his arms to his sides in response.  
>Ryuu clapped his hands once and pointed to the young man, laughing. "Newbie! Your pop just told him to hit him- it's the initiation test. Ha! Let's go!" He jumped up and slapped Sesshomaru's head for no apparent reason. Sesshomaru forcefully slapped Ryuu's back, making him let out a weird sounding groan, and the two walked down to the pond.<br>"He's so scrawny! He'll be dead by noon tomorrow." Sesshomaru chuckled.  
>"This aughtta be gooood!" Ryuu squealed.<br>Sesshomaru's father looked over his shoulder then turned back to the young man, wearing a black training outfit. He had black, tousled hair that reached to his shoulders and his face was not graced with comely masculine features.  
>"I suppose two of my best students will grace us with their presence. If you want their respect, you had better prove yourself." He announced. Fear was written all over the young man's face and he shook his head in denial. Inu no Taisho squinted at him. -Those eyes…- He suddenly shoved the young man into the pond. Sesshomaru and Ryuu could not stifle their laughter as the novice crashed into the water. But their laughter faded as soon as it started. The novice's hair was floating around, separated from the head. The newbie stood up out of the water slowly, his back to the men. Sesshomaru and Ryuu's eyes seemed as if they were going to fall out of their sockets.<br>"What in the hell?!" Ryuu grunted. The novice's clothes hugged 'his' figure tightly, revealing a tiny waist, an hourglass shape and long, toned legs. The novice's real hair was dark gold when wet and reached down to her waist.  
>"Turn around... Nanami." Sesshomaru's father commanded. Reluctantly, the new student turned. Make up was running off the girl's pale, attractive face. Her stormy gray eyes pierced the air as she stared at the three men.<br>"Holy hell!" Ryuu exclaimed and slapped his hand over his mouth, his eyes tracing the girl's figure. Sesshomaru was stunned and stared wide-eyed at the girl. - The foreigner… She was mother and father's ward… or rather mother's maid… She... changed…-  
>Inu no Taisho smirked and shook his head. "Did you think I would not recognize you, Nanami? I have to admit, I did not at first... but a woman like you can't turn into a man and behave like him. You were too graceful, and not many men have enchanting eyes like yours... You should have come as yourself... either way, I'm still waiting..."<br>Nanami was surprised he did not tell her to get out of his sight. She remained still in the pond, dumbfounded.  
>"But she's a girl! She can't punch or kick or handle a weapon! She should be in a teahouse, giggling around and spending hours dressing up and playing with her hair. She'll cry if she breaks a nail for heavens sake!" Ryuu mocked the girl, who stared daggers at his face. Sesshomaru's father slapped his hand on his forehead and ran it down his face, looking at Ryuu like he was an idiot. -You couldn't be more wrong about this one…- He then turned to Nanami and signaled for her to come to him. She obeyed and treaded water toward the man. He draped his arm around her shoulders, glanced at her and then at Ryuu. He motioned to the young man and told Nanami. "By all means... be my guest and teach him a lesson."<br>Ryuu laughed and spread out his arms. "Come then, hit me as hard as you can. I'll go easy on you, pigeon."  
>The girl smiled slyly and walked up to Ryuu. He smiled a crooked smile and looked at her over head to toe. She sashayed straight up to him, tracing a finger across his collar bone and to his chest. Ryuu smirked at her. She swiftly threw a precise punch at the pressure point on his chest, knocking the wind out of him, grabbed his head by his hair and smashed it against her knee. Ryuu fell to the ground, groaning, not knowing what to hold onto to stop the pain. Sesshomaru furrowed his brow and crossed his arms, disappointed in his friend. His father smiled and clapped his hands twice.<br>"What is the matter? Out of breath already?" Nanami leaned over the young man. He growled and knocked her to the ground. She whirled around and kicked his feet out from under him. She threw another punch into his face before snatching him up by his shirt and shoving him with all her might against a nearby tree, all without a single sound coming from her. Ryuu spat out fragments of bark and two teeth before collapsing to the ground. "Oh, shit." He mumbled as he crawled away from the girl.  
>"Very well done. Be in the fields at dawn the day after tomorrow... all of you. Now go and prepare for the festival. You too, Nanami. I expect to see all three of you there." Sesshomaru's father said before he left toward the castle. Nanami stretched out her hand to her opponent, who looked at her with caution. "You're not gonna break my neck, are you?"<br>"Not today." She smirked and pulled him up from the ground as a sign of respect. "And I'm sorry about your teeth... but you were asking for it."  
>"No problem. I lost count after all the teeth that jackass over there beat out of me." Ryuu commented as Sesshomaru approached him. "Don't hit me!" He warned Sesshomaru; he had enough of that medicine from an ordinary chambermaid.<br>"Your master must have been in good graces to let you out of her sight." Sesshomaru told the girl. She looked up at the young demon in the training outfit, recognizing him as the boy she saw in the mansion halls years ago, except he had grown up.  
>"I have no master." She replied calmly. "Your father took me from your mother's shackles four years ago. She hates me so passionately, she would be glad to have me out of her sight." Nanami walked past Sesshomaru toward the castle. She stopped and turned back to the two men. "It was a pleasure meeting you." She told Ryuu. The man smirked, still holding his head.<br>"Sorry that I can't say the same to you."  
>Nanami smiled and turned to Sesshomaru. "It was nice seeing you again, Sesshomaru." Then she left.<br>"Wait... does she know you?" Ryuu grunted.  
>"I... don't know." He lied.<br>The whole castle was alive and emblazoned with colorful lanterns, tapestries, ribbons and vibrant ensembles the demons wore. It was a warm evening in late September, with clear, starry skies. The festival had started hours ago; men sat with friends and wives, drinking sake and enjoying the food, their daughters huddled together in packs, scoping out handsome boys and giggling, dressed in their best kimonos. Little children were chasing each other through the gardens and setting tiny boats made from leaves afloat on the calm surface of the lake, to slowly drift between hundreds of glass lanterns.  
>Sesshomaru and Ryuu sat together at a long banquet table on the immense platform stretching over the lake, their mothers at opposite ends of the table. Sesshomaru's mother was discontent with the absence of her husband, her female friend at the opposite end huffed angrily to her son about her husband's uncontrolled drinking. Ryuu seemed to ignore his mother and occasionally winked or let out a sultry growl at girls that passed by, completely ignoring the fact that he had a black eye and two missing front teeth. Sesshomaru looked bored out of his mind as he leaned against the railing behind him, his head tilted back and resting on the wood plank. When he sat up and looked around, girls would smile at him and blow him kisses, at which he made disgusted face and returned to his 'bored position'.<br>Out of nowhere, his mother bolted up, her silks rustling, and turned around toward the stairs that led up toward the palace. "That sleazy dog..." She murmured in frustration as her husband approached the table, Nanami following behind him. Ryuu whistled quietly and nudged Sesshomaru in his side. He sat up and looked at his father.  
>"Where have you been?" Sesshomaru's mother hissed quietly so no one else could hear. "And what is SHE doing here?"<br>"Calm yourself. I had some unfinished business to attend to." Her husband replied in a discrete whisper.  
>His wife scoffed and looked him over. "You went to see that human again, didn't you?" She asked and sat down. Her husband looked as if the wind was knocked out of him. He slowly sat down next to his wife to the left of his son.<br>"Don't just stand there, sit down already." Sesshomaru's mother barked at Nanami, who did not dare sit down without permission. She sat down in an open seat to the left of Ryuu's mother, Sesshomaru at the opposite end of the table from her. She wore a silver kimono emblazoned with blue blossoms and a golden obi. Her long hair was draped over her shoulder, sparse braids with gold and silver clips in them formed a net-like crown on top of her head. Unlike other girls, she didn't color her lips bright red, but left them bare and natural pink. Silver glittered subtly on her eyelids under the moon. She glanced at Sesshomaru and then at the adjacent woman staring at her, who was apparently aware that she was the one who beat up her son.  
>"I do not want that filthy chambermaid at this table." Ryuu's mother muttered before sipping her tea.<br>"That is not for you to decide." Her husband responded, looking at the girl. "Nor is it yours." He declared once he noticed his wife preparing to speak up.  
>"No, I think it is, considering she scrubbed my floors for years."<br>"That was four years ago. Now she is one of my students, not to mention one of the best. She is the daughter of my dearest friend, she was never born to be a maid, and she will never be one again. She was entrusted to us as a ward, not a servant." Sesshomaru's father defended the girl. Sesshomaru finally recognized her as the maid from the palace that he used to be friends with when they were children, then he left with his father to war for five years.  
>"Huh, we shall see about that... what is her purpose in your pathetic little warrior posse anyway? Nightly entertainment for the boys?"<br>"Quiet yourself!" Inu no Taisho raised his voice, threatening his wife. He smelled sake on her breath, but dismissed it. Nanami stood up and stared at the woman viciously, who returned a nasty smile.  
>"Did I blow your cover?" She hissed at the girl. "Where is our little wench going? A secret rendezvous in the bedchambers?"<br>Nanami walked up to the woman and stopped, purposefully looking down at her as if she was inferior. She discretely waved her hand over the back of the woman's dress, while she uttered the proper pardons to the other guests. Nanami bowed dutifully and walked away. Ryuu noticed what Nanami had done and snickered.  
>"What are you laughing at?" Sesshomaru's mother snarled. Ryuu politely pointed at her dress, which was on fire. The woman growled and snatched a goblet full of cold water from the table, and splashed it on her dress. Her fabrics hissed and she threw the empty goblet on the table and turned to her husband, frustration written all over her face.<br>"Leave!" She ordered everyone from the table except her husband. All three stood up and left, Sesshomaru told Ryuu he'll be back in a short while, and followed the same path as Nanami, while the other two split up and headed in their own directions.  
>"This is what you dearly protect? That conniving witch is worth your guardianship?" Sesshomaru's mother hissed quietly.<br>"Why do you hate her so?"  
>"I never hated her, at first. But ever since your general-friend brought her into our home, I knew she would be nothing but trouble. She has destroyed our family. She tore us apart."<br>"And how do you propose she has done that?"  
>"I punish her for wrongdoings, you get angry at me and protect her. Never mind that... I know what she did... I know you don't love me anymore. She saved that sniveling little human- that Izayoi- and she was the one that introduced you to her. I am not ignorant nor blind! I know you love Izayoi instead of me! If that little witch had never showed her to you, this would have never happened! I know for a fact that you, my 'faithful' husband, would leave in the middle of the night, during the day even, to see your human pet. It's been happening for months now." Tears began welling up in her golden eyes. "Even now I can smell her on you..." She stood up and left quickly to the shore of the lake. Her husband was left speechless and guilt-ridden. He rubbed his forehead, sighed and grabbed the bottle of sake and drank from it. He looked at the forest behind the lake, stood up and slipped out into the darkness of the forest.<br>Sesshomaru had followed Nanami up the staircase to the palace where the clamor of the festival had faded into the quiet warm night. Nanami walked up another flight of stairs to the far back of the castle, overlooking the far end of the massive mountain lake. She knew Sesshomaru had followed her, so she stopped and waited for him to catch up.  
>"Why are you following me?"<br>Sesshomaru stopped in front of Nanami and looked at her for a while. "Do you want me to leave?"  
>Nanami remained silent for a moment. "I do not need apologies or explanations."<br>"I have neither."  
>"Then why are you here?"<br>"Simply because I want to be. If you wish me to leave, I will..." Again, Nanami remained silent. Sesshomaru stepped closer to Nanami and she backed up against a screen door.  
>"For five years I have been gone, and you have changed so much. Five years I have not seen or heard of you, but I never forgotten about you-"<br>"Stop Sesshomaru. We were just children... everything has changed now."  
>"Has it? Your eyes tell me otherwise."<br>Nanami stared at Sesshomaru for a moment before opening the screen door and walking into a dark room. Sesshomaru followed her and closed the door behind him. Nanami lit a small candle in one corner to light the room somewhat. Her heart began to beat faster, knowing she was alone in the room with Sesshomaru. She felt hands gently take hold of her waist and turn her around. She found herself standing face to face with Sesshomaru, her hands instinctively placed themselves on his chest, intending to push him away. Her heart beat faster and faster, but she tried to remain cool and aloof.  
>"Stop it." She mumbled, betraying her attempt to remain unaffected. Sesshomaru's eyes flickered in the candle light.<br>"Are you afraid of me?"  
>"No."<br>"Then why else would your heart be racing?"  
>Nanami blushed vibrant red. Sesshomaru took a step forward and pushed her against the wall. Nanami's anxiety spiked when he extinguished the candle with his hand. But all he did was rest his forehead against hers.<br>"You used to always sing a song in the gardens... I want to hear it again." He whispered. His arms were above her shoulders, bent at the elbows, his forearms flat against the wall. Nanami could not help but smile and placed her hands on his upper arms. She began to sing softly. Before she even finished the first stanza, Sesshomaru leaned in and kissed her lightly on her lips. Nanami did not know how to react. Sesshomaru pulled away but remained close to her face, as if seeing if she would do anything. She stood motionless, her eyes locked on his. Sesshomaru pressed his body against Nanami's, and kissed the girl again, more passionately. A slight breath escaped Nanami's lips at Sesshomaru's sudden affection. Her left arm wrapped around his shoulders, and her right hand was on his neck and jaw, right below his ear. Nanami felt like she was burning up from Sesshomaru's touch, and he knew it too, for her fingers grasped his kimono shirt tighter.  
>"Wait... no... someone might... find us..." Nanami barely managed to say as Sesshomaru's lips kept interrupting her.<br>"They're all too drunk to care..." He answered back and kissed her neck. She stifled a laugh and shrugged as his kiss tickled her neck. Nanami could feel him smile against her skin.  
>"What about Ryuu or your mother-" Again Nanami was cut off by a kiss.<br>"You worry too much..."  
>"I'm serious..."<br>"As am I..." Sesshomaru pulled the girl even closer. Nanami held on to him tighter and kissed him eagerly. She could hear a few heavy breaths escape Sesshomaru's lips as her hand slipped under his shirt and slid down his firm chest to where his heart was. He placed his hand on top of hers and whispered into her ear.  
>"It's yours... always was and always will be..."<br>Nanami's heart seemed to burst out of her chest and she kissed him as if for the last time in her life.  
>The door slammed open and Sesshomaru's mother and Harumi stood at the entrance. Sesshomaru turned and stared at the two intruders, not letting go of Nanami and still holding her hand to his heart.<br>"Sesshomaru..." His mother looked shocked. "What are you-" She was interrupted by Harumi's bawling. The girl slumped, wearing a green kimono and her best makeup. "Stop your crying." Sesshomaru's mother warned the girl and walked into the room, her gait less than graceful. Sesshomaru let go of Nanami and turned, keeping her sheltered behind him. His mother scowled and stopped in front of her son. She slapped him forcefully, leaving his cheek burning. He could smell the alcohol coming off her.  
>"You ungrateful brat! You shame yourself and your family with this lewd behavior… with a lowly foreigner no less. At least have the decency to mingle with your own kind."<br>"I decide who I come close to, not you... mother." Sesshomaru let out a threatening growl. His mother ignored him and pulled Nanami out from behind him by her arm. She threw her against the wall, slapped her and tore at her kimono, screaming. "You filthy harpy! You drove away my husband and you stole my son from me! You've ruined my family and my life! Reject from hell!-" Sesshomaru pushed his mother off of Nanami and out of the room. She stumbled drunk, into the bawling girl.  
>"Stop your idiotic accusations! She has stolen nothing from you! It was my choice to follow her... and you cannot do anything to change it!" Sesshomaru shouted. Harumi stared at Sesshomaru with jealousy while still crying.<br>"What is your problem? I do not even know you!" He frowned at her and walked back into the room to Nanami. Sesshomaru's mother straightened her kimono and stalked away, seething.  
>Nanami was on the floor, wiping the blood from the scratches on her cheeks, her left temple, and her collar bone. Sesshomaru lifted her up and embraced the girl.<br>"She wants me dead. I can't stand her abuses any longer. But neither can I bring myself to fight back... I didn't mean to make things worse. I never did anything." She murmured into his shoulder. "I need to leave this place, Sesshomaru. She has made me the scapegoat of the whole castle. Anything unfortunate or dishonorable is always somehow tied to me..."  
>"Come, we'll leave for a short while and wait for everything to settle down." Sesshomaru led the girl out of the room and past the castle, further out of the mountains, toward an abandoned mansion that used to be Nanami's home.<br>Sesshomaru and Nanami reached a recently deserted mansion on the coast overlooking the sea, a dense forest behind it. Its gardens began to overgrow with hedges and wild flowers. Some vines were starting to creep up the walls and stairs of the house.  
>"It has been two months..." Nanami mumbled, referring to the last housekeeper to leave the manor. Sesshomaru glanced at the girl and took her by her hand, leading her up the main staircase to the entrance.<br>"Come. Its no use staying out here and staring at it." Sesshomaru pushed open the doors into the castle. Nanami walked in past Sesshomaru into the main room. Her ring began to glow in the dark and she waved her hand over the first torch on the wall, and it lit on fire. The fire quickly traveled down to the next torch by a wax string that ran along a tiny stone shelf on the wall. The whole room lit up, exposing furniture covered with white cloth and topped with a layer of dust. Nanami looked around at the familiar room and then opened all the windows and screen doors to ventilate the mansion. Sesshomaru walked in and pulled off the coverings from the shelves, chairs, tables, desks, ottomans and sofas. There were elaborate woven rugs on the floor, tapestries from various nations on the walls and a myriad of maps and scrolls on the shelves. Nanami looked around and walked out of the room via an arched hallway toward the hot spring that was enclosed in a large chamber on the hillside. To her surprise, the water was still clean and running down the stones into the pool and then out of the chamber through a small opening in the wall. Nanami took off her shoes and pulled her kimono up to her knees and sat down on the edge of the steaming pool, submerging her legs in the water. Sesshomaru followed the girl and sat down beside her. She took off her earrings and jewels, set them beside her and cupped some water in her hands, cleaning off her wounds.  
>"How often does that happen?" Sesshomaru observed Nanami and asked quietly.<br>"Too often. " She replied. "She always finds something to blame on me. "  
>"Why does she hate you so?"<br>Nanami glanced at the man beside her. "Wouldn't you? I think I inadvertently saved someone who just may be your father's mistress."  
>Sesshomaru's gaze lowered. He has been denying his father's behavior, that much was obvious. Nanami quickly shifted the conversation to herself, fearing to broach the subject of his father's loyalty for fear of pushing Sesshomaru away too.<br>"But …she never accepted me as a demon because I don't have claws or fangs or an aura or a different form that I can morph into. I am an immortal; a demon by your conventions would come close. Yet she was polite enough with me during our visits and for the first several weeks. But as time went on, she could not stand the sight of my father. She said that he infected her husband with ridiculous theories of an alliance between my race and yours, and that the only reason my father asked yours for aid in war in our homeland was to kill him and take control of your land and people and expand upon our empire. The more he collaborated with my father, the more her husband was away longer, he grew more distanced, more detached. I was an additional responsibility and a burden. And on top of that you spent all your free time with me. That would be reason enough to mislike someone…  
>"Soon enough, your mother made a habit of saying to everyone that I was the child of misfortune, that I would bring catastrophe everywhere I went… not that she was too far away from the truth. That is why everything that went wrong was blamed on me, and I was punished for it, even if it was a ridiculous mistake. A maid breaks a cup, she gets beat and I get yelled at and slapped for putting her up for it. Once, when I was 14, a thief broke into the castle and stole some valuable jewels and swords, he was caught and hanged, but your mother accused me for letting him in, so she locked me up in a dungeon with nothing but stale water and rotten food. When an old physician found me, I was mere hours away from starvation and death. Your mother just told him that she must have forgotten to open the trap door and left with her friends to the tea house. But not before demanding that I be ready for work the next morning.<br>"Every time I received a package or even a letter from my family at home, she would snatch it out of my hands and burn it in front of me, telling me that it was to prevent me from scheming against her. I have not spoken to my family for 7years, until this year, when I finally received one letter after I asked the messenger to bring anything here to this mansion instead. I have lived here up to two months ago, when you and your father returned." Nanami explained as she finished washing the wounds on her neck and face. Sesshomaru felt pity for the woman.  
>"How could she be so cruel? You were just a child for heaven's sake. "<br>"Not in her eyes… but I can understand her."  
>"Your back is bleeding." Sesshomaru touched a red blood stain between her shoulder blades. "You must have hit a nail."<br>Nanami tried to reach the wound but she could not reach it. Before she even said anything, Sesshomaru already had a cloth in his hand and washed it in the spring.  
>"Here, let me help. It's the least I could do..." Sesshomaru said quietly and loosened her obi and stopped, glancing at Nanami to make sure she was fine with him that close to her. She just straightened her back and tightened her hold on the front of her kimono, and pulled her long honey gold hair from her back, over her left shoulder. Sesshomaru pulled her kimono down a few inches past her shoulders so that her shoulder blades were completely exposed. Instead of a simple dot shaped wound, there was a prominent scratch from a claw, but judging from the dried blood it had stopped bleeding a while ago. Sesshomaru gently wiped the wound with the wet cloth and washed her soft skin.<br>"If I did not know you, I would have never thought that you were her son... With all the blame, aren't you supposed to hate me?" Nanami looked at Sesshomaru over her shoulder.  
>"I am not ignorant, I did see you and speak to you often. I formed my own opinion." Sesshomaru finished cleansing her injury and placed a light kiss on her back. Nanami turned around and kissed Sesshomaru, wrapping her arms around his neck. Sesshomaru gladly returned the affection, avoiding her wounds. Nanami stopped and stood up. She walked out of the chamber and headed down a narrow hall and into another room, her bed chamber. Sesshomaru followed the girl into the room. She stood silently, fixing her kimono, in front of a bed between two windows. Sesshomaru walked up to her and embraced her tightly. She did the same and rested her head on his shoulder.<br>"Stay with me tonight? ... Please." Nanami whispered. Sesshomaru kissed her forehead and answered quietly.  
>"I'll stay with you as long as you want me to." Then his lips lightly touched hers, and he pulled away, as if teasing Nanami. She smiled and kissed his neck, then his lips, all while her hands snaked around his broad shoulders to his chest. As his kisses grew more passionate, she began to pull his shirt apart and slipped it off his shoulders. He pulled his arms free and threw the shirt on the ground. He kissed Nanami's neck and shoulders, hearing a sparse moan every once in a while come from the girl. He pulled her kimono off and left her standing in her undergarments. Sesshomaru picked Nanami up, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his shoulders and walked to the bed. He put the girl down on the mattress and kissed her again. She kept her arms around his shoulders and leaned back, pulling him with her. Sesshomaru's kisses crept lower, down her neck to her chest, making Nanami's lips curl into a smile before her mouth parted to let out a barely audible sigh. His lips traveled along her breast bone, down her ab line to her navel. Nanami squirmed as Sesshomaru's kiss tickled her stomach. She let out a strange sounding giggle and covered her face with her hands from embarrassment. Sesshomaru looked up at her and smirked. He pulled himself up so that his face was now above hers.<br>"What was that?" He muttered. Nanami uncovered her face and mumbled something quietly and laughed before kissing him. Her hands slid down his firm chest to his abs and back up. She kissed his collarbone and flipped him over with his back on the bed and leaned over him. She kissed his chest and her fingers lightly grazed over his shoulders. Nanami put her head down on his chest and pressed her body close against his and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around the girl and the two fell asleep.  
>In the breezy morning, Sesshomaru woke up and stretched. He looked over to his right and saw Nanami sleeping quietly on her side, facing him. He lightly brushed his hand against her shoulder and looked at her face for a little while, admiring every feature, listening to her rhythmic breathing. Sesshomaru ran his fingers through her hair and gently kissed her lips, trying not to wake her up. He stood up, put his kimono shirt back on and left toward the door.<br>"Sesshomaru?" Nanami asked quietly, still lying in bed.  
>"I'll come back, I just need to speak to father."<br>Nanami returned to her sleep and Sesshomaru left the mansion. After about an hour of walking, he reached the castle. It was unusually quiet and gloomy. The castle looked like a ghost town; no one was in the streets, there were no signs or decorations that remained from the festival, doors and windows were shut; nothing moved. Sesshomaru frowned and walked up the stairs to his home. He walked into the main hall and was shocked to see his mother on the floor, crying hysterically rocking back and forth. He walked up to her and looked at her in concern. She looked up, her eyes red from weeping all night.  
>"What happened?" He muttered.<br>" Your father left to see his precious little human, who had given birth to a sniveling half demon. Some blithering idiot tried to kill her for having an affair, and of course your father had to do the 'honorable' thing and save the bitch..." She mumbled angrily through tears.  
>"Where is he now?" Sesshomaru feared something might have happened. His mother frowned painfully and started to sob even harder. At that moment, it hit Sesshomaru; he was gone. Sesshomaru dropped to his knees and caressed his mothers face. "Where is he?" He asked again, knowing the answer, but not believing it.<br>"He's dead! Gone, Sesshomaru, gone!" His mother bawled. Sesshomaru felt tears well up in his eyes, and swallowed a lump in his throat. He hugged his mother, trying to comfort her, but she pushed him away.  
>"Stay away from me! I can smell that witch on you! She's the one responsible for your father's death, and you run off with her and let her cast her spell on you. Are you blind Sesshomaru?! Look at what trouble she brought to this family! How do you think your father met the human? Your precious Nanami saved her from some demon then introduced her to your father. She brought her to him every seven days until he left for her himself."<br>"You lie."  
>Sesshomaru's mother scoffed and looked at her son. She placed her hand on his cheek. "Do you honestly think that she lured you away from the castle because she 'loved' you and wanted to be with you? She knew that your father left and she warned that assassin about it so that he would get rid of him, before the festival. I saw her leave into the woods. Then she took you away from this castle so that you would have no chance to save your father. Stop being so naive. Look past the innocent, beautiful mask of that girl. Once I did, I saw all the lies too. Her father wasn't here just as a good friend. He had an ulterior motive, to claim the western lands after the death of your father, and your mother, and you. Who better to accomplish the task than his innocent, beautiful, lovely daughter. Her father was a warlord, for heaven's sake, do you think his child would be a peaceful, naive little girl that plays with dolls? She could shoot arrows better than the guards of the palace when she was 9... Do you honestly think she has no one to protect her in her home nation? Why do you think she is still here while the rest of her brood is safe at home? She's in the ideal position to bring our house and lineage down. She's more shrewd and able than any hired assassin...Just think through it Sesshomaru. The closer you get to a person, the easier they are to kill. Which was exactly what she did to your father... and what she is doing to you..."<br>"That's impossible."  
>"Is it?"<br>Sesshomaru stood up and rushed out of the mansion and followed his father's path to the human village. He knew his father had an affair and he was undoubtedly outraged about having a half-demon brother, but he did not know the extent of Nanami's involvement.  
>The whole town was burned to the ground, and there were two charred bodies inside what probably used to be a home, surrounded by his father's royal guards. Sesshomaru felt his heart drop down to his ankles and a cold sweat drench him. He walked up to the corpses, one of the samurai, the other of his beloved father. The guards cleared a path for Sesshomaru, who dropped to his knees next to his father's body, tears rolling down his face. He wrapped his arms around his dead father, sobbing into his chest. His mother's words began to make sense. -How could I let this happen? Mother was right... all along... I should have listened! My father would have been alive!... Forgive me father for being such a fool... but I will have my revenge.- Sesshomaru growled furiously, bolted up, grabbed a sword out of a guard's hands and ran back toward Nanami's mansion. On his way, he ran past Ryuu, and completely ignored him.<br>"What the- Sesshomaru!" He yelled and chased after his friend. Sesshomaru reached the front door and kicked it open. He stormed into the mansion, checking every passing room for Nanami. He walked into the bedroom, where Nanami was sitting on the bed, wrapped in the white bed sheet, sewing her ripped kimono. She stood up and smiled, but her smile faded as she noticed how incandescent Sesshoumaru looked and the sword that he held in his hand. He stalked closer to Nanami, who dropped the kimono to the floor and backed up. Sesshomaru grabbed her by the neck and slammed Nanami against the wall. She frowned and stared at Sesshomaru, baffled by his behavior. Sesshomaru was a mere inch away from her face, staring at her in agony and anger.  
>"I trusted you. My father trusted you. And after all he has done, this is how you repay him?! Have you no honor whatsoever?!"<br>"What are you talking about?!" Nanami was utterly lost.  
>"Don't play innocent! I have fallen for your tricks all these years..." Sesshomaru slammed the woman against the wall once more. At this time, Ryuu walked into the room quietly. Sesshomaru was too heartbroken and furious to notice him, and Nanami was too frightened and confused to care.<br>"All these years I loved you... blindly, like a fool... and I thought you felt the same... but you have no care. Well, congratulations, beautiful, your wretched plan had worked! You crushed my family to pieces, you killed my father, drove my mother insane and drained all the humanity out of me! What the hell did we ever do to you to deserve this pain?!"  
>"How can you say that?! What is happening with you?!" Nanami began cry, thoroughly confused and upset.<br>"My father is dead! Because of you! You knew he was going to go to Izayoi after the festival, so you warned your little assassin and then you lured me away so I would not be able to stop him from leaving! You knew I would follow you to the end of the earth, and you used me!"  
>"Have you lost your mind?! How could I possibly do that?! Just listen to yourself, you're not making any sense! I've never left the castle for two months! I was in the training fields with you! It was you who took me here!"<br>"Stop spinning lies and excuses! I will not fall for them any longer!"  
>"Sesshomaru! What lies?! What excuses?! I have never done any of these things that you accused me of! I don't have what it takes to do such evil!"<br>"That's enough!" Sesshomaru shouted in Nanami's face and threw her down to the floor. She looked on at him hopelessly, not understanding why Sesshomaru hated her all of a sudden. Sesshomaru wiped the tears from his eyes and headed toward her, tightening the grip on his sword. At this point, Ryuu jumped in front of Sesshomaru and snatched the sword out of his hands.  
>"Stop, Sesshomaru! You're acting insane!" Ryuu tried to calm his friend down.<br>"Stay out of it Ryuu!" Sesshomaru growled and pushed his friend out of the way.  
>"You're not thinking straight! Leave the girl alone!" Ryuu pushed Sesshomaru against the wall. He saw this incident as a perfect chance to get in Nanami's good graces and win her heart, and get back at Sesshomaru for 'stealing' the girl he wanted for himself. But he didn't realize that she was too heartbroken to even look. She was on the floor, crying into the palms of her hands. Sesshomaru punched Ryuu in the face and pushed him once more, reclaiming his weapon. He headed toward Nanami again, thinking he will kill her, but not sure that he would really be able to follow through with it. Nanami looked up at him, but she didn't hide. She sat up straight on her knees and stared deep into Sesshomaru's eyes for what she feared would be the last time. He lifted the sword and Nanami kept her eyes fixed on his.<br>"Go ahead, then, if I am so cruel and heartless, kill me..." She whispered. Sesshomaru thrust the sword's point toward her heart, but stopped, the blade barely touching her skin. Then he dropped the sword to the floor and kneeled in front of the woman, grabbing her by her jaw. He leaned in and whispered, "Leave and never, NEVER, return, or you will die." Then he stood up and left the mansion, leaving Nanami in tears.  
>Sesshomaru spent the whole day locked up in his chambers, staring at the walls closing in on him. He yearned for a way to be out of the nightmare, and to never remember it. Late in the rainy night, he left the castle and walked toward the mountain behind the palace, where an old, secluded witch lived in a cave and brewed the town's medicines and various potions. Sesshomaru walked into a cavern lit by large torches at the back of the entrance of the cave, where an old, gray haired woman was sitting and humming in front of a fire pit. Sesshomaru stopped beside her, but before he could speak, she grabbed his hand and pricked one of his fingers. Twisting his hand, she collected crimson droplets into a small glass vial with a strange, purple colored liquid within. Her gnarled fingers held the vial over the flames as she muttered to herself indiscernibly.<br>"Drink it all before you sleep, and you will never remember her nor her doings, nor will she remember you." She said in a raspy voice, handing Sesshomaru the concoction. He did not know what to make of the old woman or her strange potion, but he accepted the vial silently nonetheless.  
>As he sat in his bed and toyed with the glass bottle in his hands, Sesshomaru could not forget Nanami's eyes, but he had to, he wanted to. He uncorked the vial, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and whispered goodbye to a girl he once loved. Now all he faced was a thin line between love and hate…better to avoid it all entirely.<p> 


	4. Awakening

Sesshomaru's eyes opened and he was back in the present. The most joyful and painful memories of his life have been uncovered, and he looked at the woman before him in a new light. He recognized her as the very same Nanami from so long ago, and his heart skipped a beat. After that horrid morning he became as he was now: cold, ruthless and emotionless. After two centuries, the woman who turned his world upside down and inside out had returned, and he was not going to let her do that again.

"Now do you remember, my friend?" Ryuu asked, wrapping his arm around Nanami's shoulders, making her close her eyes and grimace. Sesshomaru glared at Nanami with anger, remembering all that went on between them. Meanwhile his mother smiled wickedly and slowly left the room.

"You should have never come back... " Sesshomaru kept looking at the girl, still unsure whether learning her identity was all real or a bad dream. She was different now; more withdrawn, apprehensive, afraid, cold and dangerous. The Nanami that was like a blossom, happy and hopeful, even when oppressed, was gone. In her place stood a powerful, wise, deadly vision; an ice queen made bitter by the cruel realities of the world.

" All this time I blamed Inuyasha for my father's death, for my broken family... when it was you all along... why have you come back?"  
>"Tell me, Sesshomaru, where is the logic behind your accusations, where is the reason?" Nanami's temper for the two-hundred year old dispute was wearing dangerously thin.<p>

"In everything you say and do."

"Is it? If I truly wanted anything else from you, if I wanted you dead… I could have done so in a heart beat. Any minute… any moment. Yet while we were both clueless about the past, was I after you? Did I stalk you and make multiple attempts to kill you or steal anything from you? ... Was it not you who killed me just hours ago?" Nanami tried to open Sesshomaru's eyes, no matter how frustrated she was with him.

"You're falling for it again, Sesshomaru... You know, I'm starting to think I found your weakness..." Ryuu cut in, trying to prevent Sesshomaru from believing Nanami. "How interesting... the 'invincible' Sesshomaru, son of the great dog demon, is wrapped around this pretty little trickster's finger." He teased, and as he did so, ran his fingers down her neck to her collar bone. Nanami lost her temper and pulled tightly on the chains.

"Keep your wretched hands off." She snarled at him.

"Or what? You're chained, princess." Ryuu snickered and rattled the links. Nanami shot him a death glare and lit the chains on fire. Ryuu saved his hand and backed up nervously.

"Enough of this charade. I am making it easy for you, Sesshomaru, you can get your revenge, here and now. All I ask is that you help me kill her. Now that you know, admit you want to slit her little throat and see all of your family's suffering cleansed by her blood. All I want is her power, nothing more... and if you help me, I will make you warlord of all lands. You will be the most powerful man next to me in this world. You are no longer my concern as an enemy Sesshomaru. On the contrary, I could use an ally such as yourself. Help me and I will rid you of all your enemies, from Inuyasha to her kinsmen. With her power, we will be gods... I would bring the world under our control. Help me, and I will even bring your father back to life..." Tsuneo tried to buy Sesshomaru's trust. "All you have to do is kill her..." He clarified, but Sesshomaru looked unconvinced. In the moment of silence, Nanami let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head slightly.

"You imbecile... have you any idea what you are saying? Do you honestly think that it is that simple- you kill me and now you are more powerful than anything on this earth? Ha! If that was indeed true... then he's the one you want." Nanami's glare motioned to Sesshomaru. "Suffice it to say he practically bathed in my blood before bringing me back to life just hours ago… Yet he stands no different."

The black eyed demon had a look as if someone threw rotting vegetables in his face. She sighed as if pitying them and tugged on the shackles causing them to collapse to the floor in ashes.

"If it was so simple... this power... this curse... why would it still be in the original blood line after thousands of years? After whole armies were sent to find this power that no being on this planet should even need? It is eons old and it has existed since the beginning of this world, since the beginning of everything. Such immense power is not attained by simply running a sword through the guardian's heart. It has great costs, and is nearly impossible to find and obtain it. And you think you are the one, that after whole seas of blood have been spilt, thousands of greedy lives wasted... that it is you, a filthy, pitiful, cowardly parasite that will overcome all odds set by nature and thousands of years of secrecy and take it from me?" Nanami closed in on the black eyed man like a predator on its prey. The demon snarled, flustered and shrinking in his corner. Nanami seemed more terrifying with every second, like she was drawing on every ounce of her strength.

"Go on. Try it. Maybe you will succeed. Just maybe..." Nanami taunted the demon. He growled menacingly and with all his might thrust a dark metal sword at Nanami, only to have it miss her by an inch as she stepped back. Her hand whipped up and snatched the blade, the white stone glowing on her finger, forcing the blade to burn hot in his hand. The metal clanked to the floor as his flesh hissed.

"You'll have to do better than that." Nanami teased. Sesshomaru's mother rushed back into the room. Nanami turned and Tsuneo seized the opportunity to escape, disappearing as a ghost in the night. -Pathetic miscreant…- Nanami mumbled to herself.

"Why is she still breathing?!" Sesshomaru's mother protested to her son. "Who let her go?"

"She freed herself." Ryuu answered. The woman growled and stepped in front to face her son.

"You're letting her live?! After everything she has done to our family?! After all the havoc she created in our home? She killed your father, Sesshomaru!"

"Did my sword pierce his chest?! Did I set the damn castle on fire?! Was it my fault that after I saved that girl that your father happened to be hunting and decided to walk by?! Was it my fault your parents could barely stand each other since we were children, Sesshomaru?!" Nanami exploded, tired of the lies hung like heavy chains around her. She desperately tried to make Sesshomaru understand that she had nothing to do with any of this. She had enemies enough, and the last thing she needed was a begrudged nightmare of a demon from her past. "Did I control his heart and mind and tell him what to do, what to think and who to love?!"

"Your wicked kind has a way of deceiving people and making them do all sorts of wrongs!" Sesshomaru's mother hissed at the girl.

"My people?! How many of them have you encountered? A way of deception? Then please do explain to me, your honorable, honest, noble highness, what the hell it is you are doing right now?!" Nanami seemed to snarl more fiercely than any bloodthirsty wolf could manage. Sesshomaru's mother flushed red and stalked toward her before replying.

"I'm revealing the truth to my blind son."

Sesshomaru looked at his mother coldly and stepped to the side, losing even more faith and trust in her, yet not gaining any in Nanami. He glanced at the door and began to leave the room. -I have no need for any of this nonsense.-

"Since when did the meaning of truth change to manipulating all of those around you to get your way and scape-goating your mistakes on an outsider?"

"How dare you speak to me that way?!"

"Some one has to put you back in your place! You don't even consider the realistic possibility of us both being victim of your late husband's decision. You are neurotic beyond all limits and blood thirsty for my death even two centuries later and yet you call me a monster? What the hell have I ever TRULY done to you to deserve your cruelty?!"

"What have you done?! Look at my family! Look at me!"

" Family?! You drove your husband away, you stole your son's position as ruler of these lands out of mistrust, and then you accuse me of destroying everything! All you have ever done is torture me and use my torment as entertainment for yourself and your snotty friends!"

"Barbarian! You killed my husband!"

"Why would I kill your husband if he already had an heir, one who is much stronger than I? Why would I want to kill the most powerful man in Japan?!"

"You wanted his power, his empire-"

" Why, if I already possess a power more dire than his own?! Why would a lost, beaten, weary girl want all that power if I hate my own?!" Nanami shouted, frustrated beyond understanding at the extent of the woman's rotten, immoral, brutal accusations and behavior and Sesshomaru's unresponsiveness. He was torn in half; he sympathized with his mother, she has had enough struggles of her own in life and she needed explanations for her torment. He was apprehensive of having anything to do with Nanami and reluctant to accept his past. Neither one of them were completely correct nor innocent. Sesshomaru decided to avoid the situation all together. It was all in the past. He could not bring his father back no matter who's fault it was.

"Just prove to me how I killed your husband, how I ruined your life!"

"No one knows but you." The queen finally responded. Nanami slumped from disbelief.

"If I was ever going to kill anyone, it would have been you..." Nanami growled.

"Then go ahead, do it."

"You are not worth my time and effort... There would not even be an effort…" Nanami paused and choked back the words of truth. -I have not the heart to do it.-

"Is that what you told my husband? It is not that you will not kill me, it is that you cannot. Because if you even attempt anything, I will end you in a heartbeat."

"Then why didn't you kill me after every time you threatened to? Who are you trying to convince? You're terrified of me."

The elder woman laughed melodically and shook her head. Her mesmerizingly beautiful gold eyes mocked Nanami.

" Why else would you try so hard to have someone kill me, yet you won't do it yourself? Even after 200 years, you go to great lengths to have me gone from this world." Nanami was sick of arguing, knowing it was pointless; Sesshomaru's mother would never admit the truth. Nanami walked toward the door, passing by Sesshomaru, refusing to grant him even a glance.

"You and your kind are inbred rejects from the darkest pits of hell. Who would want you alive?" Sesshomaru's mother spoke her mind with a menacing smile, hissing like a cobra, her words poison.

Nanami stopped in her tracks, blood boiling. Calming herself, she shut her eyes and took a deep air in the room turned dense and still. Breathing became nigh impossible. Nanami turned and opened her eyes, pitch black lashes glistening over lustrous silver orbs. Her eyes were unearthly; glowing white around a black pupil, fading to a gleaming silver-blue near the edge of her iris. She looked a ravenous deity as she approached the woman, who looked terrified and disgusted at the same time. The two men were frozen in utter disbelief, not understanding why they could not move, why they could barely breathe and why they felt like they were drowning. Nanami walked freely, all while the world around her seemed to grind to a halt. She stopped in front of the woman, and stared at her with those unsettling, otherworldly eyes. The demon found that she could not look away. Then, no one could breathe nor move and they felt as if their bodies were shutting down on them. Sesshomaru's mother began to look older and older, until her long fingers were gnarled, her skin wrinkled, her eyes grew dull. Nanami's fingers gently touched the woman's chin.

"May you live forever, to remember all your misdeeds, to see everything you hold dear come and go, to see all that you cherish crumble and disappear in time, while you remain forever old, forever guilty, forever heartless... May you live forever, that is my gift to you." Nanami's whisper sounded like an eerie breeze and echoed around the room as if in a cave. Then, within a second, the normal atmosphere returned and all three could breathe and move again. Ryuu became nauseous, collapsed to the floor, vomited and fainted from the moment of almost no bodily function, a moment brushed with death. Sesshomaru dropped to his knees, dizzy, but he never took his eyes off of Nanami. She stopped in front of the doorway and looked at Sesshomaru with condemning eyes, no longer glowing, her lips parted as if she was about to say something, but kept silent. Sesshomaru held on to her look as long as he could, but refused to speak as he watched her leave. His mother was on her knees, sobbing and trembling as she surveyed her skin and her hair.

"You filth! You rotten harpy!" She wheezed. Then she turned to her son and scowled. "How could you let her live?! Look at what she has done to me! You let her do this to our family! I warned you about her when you were just a child, but you ignored me, you betrayed your father, your betrayed me! You have strayed far from yourself, from your honor, from your father's legacy, Sesshomaru, all because of that little temptress! You became weak, my son… She can easily wrap you around her finger and control you, yet you refuse to acknowledge it. Go ahead, go run to your little bitch."

Sesshomaru let out a low threatening growl and grabbed his mother by her neck.

"I decide what I do in my life, not you. And don't play innocent with me, I am not blind nor ignorant. You have done your share of bad deeds. I will decide what went wrong, who I trust and where I go. Do not use my father to guilt me into your every whim." Sesshomaru left the room, still a bit lightheaded and shaken.

He followed Nanami's scent out of the castle back to the forest when Ryuu caught up with him.

"Sesshomaru! Wait!" Ryuu shouted. Sesshomaru stopped and turned around, facing his former friend.

"Forget about her, Sesshomaru. We must both forget about her. What ever she has or has not done, she is beyond your control. You can't change the past, so just let it go and go on... All I know is that our friendship is worth much more than that pretty girl. " Ryuu tried to win back an ally, but Sesshomaru scowled.

"Friendship? What friendship? You were tailing that vermin just an hour past and now you're on my side?" He continued on his way back to the campsite, leaving Ryuu speechless. "As if there is anything to was simply time wasted."

Nanami ran back toward the coast, barely able to breathe, as weak as she was before Sesshomaru killed her. Shock and adrenaline kept her moving, but not for long. As she got closer to the camp, her body began giving up on her. Manipulating time drained all the energy out of her and she knew she would have to feel this way for a week or so. Every time she disrupts the natural flow of time, she disrupts her own body and mind, and that of those around her. Thus she never uses her power unless necessary and her body and mind are able to cope with the pressure. - So foolish. I shouldn't have…- She felt as if in a nightmare, everything seemed wrong yet it all made perfect sense. Nanami could barely keep up with her own thoughts, her world seemed to turn upside down and shake until everything was shattered to pieces. Nanami was furious and hopeless all together. Guilt and anger tore at her, the only feelings preventing her from being overwhelmed by grief, misery and heart break. She didn't know what she was doing nor where she was going - her mind raced in different directions. She wanted to be trusted again, to be welcomed as a friend by those she loved, not shunned away like a diseased stray. She was sick of being treated as an outsider; as something to stay away from or misfortune will follow. She kept running toward the coast, not stopping even when she felt like falling to the ground and just disappearing, forgetting everything. Yet she knew she couldn't. She had already called for help the night when she escaped from the pillaged village. It was a risk, but so was staying in these foreign lands. Nanami finally stumbled into the campsite, the halfway point to her destination. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo stared at her, not knowing what happened. Rin popped out of nowhere and clung to Nanami.

"You're back!" She squealed happily. But Nanami just closed her eyes, swallowing back tears and all her raging emotions to compose her stone cold mask, and her hands clutched her dress tighter as she concentrated. Rin looked up at Nanami, sensing something was wrong, and the woman's frayed appearance confirmed it.

"Nanami? What happened? What's wrong?" Rin wondered. "Where's Lord Sesshomaru?"

Nanami merely opened her eyes and looked at the monk and demonslayer staring at her in concern. Sango made the first move and walked up to Nanami, though she was not sure of what to say. She knew something happened and it involved Sesshomaru, but she had no guess as to what exactly. Nanami looked deep into Sango's eyes, her gaze saying "Don't pity me." Then she quickly ran her fingers through Rin's hair and gave her a faint, but warm smile, after which she let go and walked to her sword, still in the ground, and sheathed it. She jumped on her stallion, and fixed the reigns. Sango stepped up to the horse and placed her hands on its neck.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Away from here." Nanami whispered.

"Can't you stay?" Rin wondered.

"I have to go, Rin... I can't... I can't ... stay here…see them... I'm sorry."

"Why?" Rin asked innocently, clutching Nanami's dress.

"I'm sorry..." Nanami said finally, and lashed the reigns, speeding off toward the coast. The group remained silent, each one wondering about what went on during the day. Rin was sitting quietly next to the campfire, waiting for her guardian to return. Shippo sat down next to her, trying to comfort her. Sango tried to figure out what Nanami meant by not being able to stay here and 'see them'. Miroku was also curious, but insisted that it was wise to stay out of it if Sesshomaru was involved.

"You think Inuyasha found him by now?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know... I don't even know if it's better that he finds him or he doesn't... I mean Nanami looked like she had gone through hell and lost all control… I'd imagine Sesshomaru will be no less a pleasant surprise than he normally is…" Miroku's face scrunched when he imagined the man.

"I don't know either... We'll just have to wait and see." Sango answered and kept glaring at the fire.

Inuyasha kept tracking Sesshomaru up the mountain and through the woods. He was a bit confused; he could not pick up Nanami's scent that he presumed Sesshomaru was following. -What was he following? Where was he going?- A gust of wind blew in his face, Inuyasha caught a new trace of Sesshomaru's scent, and it was approaching him, fast. Inuyasha decided to stay in place and just wait for his half-brother.

"What the hell happened between you two? Where is the girl, what'd you do to her?" Inuyasha interrogated his brother.

Sesshomaru ignored the half-demon and passed by him.

"Spill it, Sesshomaru, what'd you do to Nanami?"

"You have no part in this."

"I think I do, actually… He was my father too, Sesshomaru. What is happening?! What did you do to her?"

"I do not know what I have done, to her or what she has done to me. I have already told you, this is none of your concern."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means get the hell out of my way!"

Inuyasha frowned for a moment. "You've changed. You're both hiding something. You don't even seem like yourself anymore. Who is she?"

Sesshomaru glowered to himself, knowing that the demon everyone knew him as was in a sense gone. Never has he been so torn between reality and theory. He started running again, following Nanami's scent. -She ruined everything. Everything.- He followed her tracks to the campsite and was welcomed with cold glares from the group. Rin crossed her arms, frowned and pout her lips.

"How could you upset and hurt Lady Nanami, Lord Sesshomaru? Why did you do that?"

Sesshomaru was speechless and shocked that even the very loyal Rin was chastising him. He walked past them and continued his search, his mind clouded and confused. Rin's eyes showed panic as she followed him, fearful she may have angered him too much.

"Why is he acting so strange? Why won't he talk about what happened?" Inuyasha reached the camp right before Sesshomaru was out of sight.

"It's Nanami, I'm sure of it. She's gotten under his skin." Sango theorized.

"Just stay out of it. Leave both of them to resolve their conflicts… And don't worry, he won't kill her." Miroku advised.

"How would you know? He already has, remember?!" Inuyasha barked.

"Not on purpose. Just look at Sesshomaru's behavior around her. He threatens to kill her and pretends to not care, but he keeps saving her and making up excuses for it…Sound familiar?"

"Whatever, monk. They hate each other." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Ugh, you're so clueless." Sango rolled her eyes and looked in Sesshomaru's direction.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Inuyasha snarled, then returned to arguing with Miroku about who was right or wrong.

Sesshomaru chased after Nanami, though he was not sure why. -Why bother? She's a figment of the long gone past. She will only make things worse. Damn her.- Sesshomaru's thoughts circled uselessly, almost to the point of not knowing what he was doing or where he was going. The wind that lashed at him grew colder, telling him he was nearing the beach.

After being completely unaware of his memories for two hundred years, then being forced into meeting his tragic past and realizing he has lived a lie for the past two centuries was confounding. -She was so perfect... Or I was so blind. Or she was so flawless that she fooled even my father's judgement.- Sesshomaru shook his head in disbelief, as if trying to shake out his own thoughts. He followed her scent for hours until it disappeared abruptly and all he could smell and hear was the ocean. -She's in the sea?- A cold chill ran down his spine, fearing she was going to drown herself. He rushed out onto the sandy beach. But what he saw was perhaps worse than Nanami trying to drown herself; in that case he could at least have pulled her out… or held her down. Instead, she was leaving.

Nanami was in a small boat, her head in her hands as she leaned over and placed her elbows on her knees. The boat headed toward a beautiful, enormous ship made of red oak whose burgundy sails billowed in the wind. Two sailors threw down ropes and four men held the other end on deck. A sailor in the boat tied both ropes on either sides and it was hoisted up. A man Sesshomaru's age rushed down the stairs from the captain's cabin to the ascending boat. Under the moonlight, Sesshomaru could distinguish his short brown hair, dark eyes, pointed ears and a recently healed scar from his ear to his mouth. The boat barely reached the rim of the ship when the man snatched Nanami out of it and embraced her tightly, whispering something in her ear. To Sesshomaru's surprise, she hugged him back and buried her face in his chest, crying. The sight drove Sesshomaru mad, but he instantly restrained himself, denying his innate reaction. His fists clenched so tightly from anger and jealousy, he cut his own palms with his claws. Just then, the captain turned and saw Sesshomaru knee-deep in water. He scowled at the demon. Nanami noticed her rescuer's reaction and looked in his direction. As soon as she saw Sesshomaru, she jerked away from the man sharply, as if to distance herself from him. The captain glared in confusion at her spontaneous reaction, not to mention the longing way she looked at the man in the sea irritated the hell out of him. Nanami let out a heart wrenching sigh to prevent herself from crying again and stormed up into the captain's cabin. The man threw a threatening look at Sesshomaru, who returned an even more menacing glance, and both went their separate ways. The ship left into the dark horizon, with Sesshomaru's key to the truth and peace of mind on it.

The demon darted back toward the castle, heading to the cave where the old witch lived. -She would know the truth, and where Nanami is headed. She has to… I must know what happened to father. If Nanami is at fault… I should have left her dead.- Sesshomaru shot past the group in the camp, with Inuyasha cursing at him.

He finally reached the cave by midday, a dim light glowing deep inside. Sesshomaru found it hard to believe that the witch was still there after 200 years. She seemed decrepit back then, she must be ancient by now. He walked in and followed the glimpses of light and the sound of the witch's humming.

"I knew you would be back, Sesshomaru. But I am disappointed, if not angry at you." The witch announced eerily, without looking at him. She was focused on the fire, shaking her head every now and then. The entire scene was bone-chillingly familiar.

"How is it that you know about this?" Sesshomaru frowned and walked in front of the fire, opposite the witch.

"This? You mean Nanami..." Her unnerving, misty white eyes looked up, waiting for his answer. Sesshomaru cringed from her ghostly gaze.

"I was her mentor, her guardian, her predecessor. I know everything there is to know about that girl. You think I gave you that potion to help you? I did it for her."

"If you know everything about her, then tell me, is she responsible for my father's death?"

"What did I tell you the potion would do?"

"Erase any memory of her."

"Precisely, yet you still remember your father's death..." The witch began to stand up carefully, as if her thin figure was made of glass and any sudden movement would shatter her to pieces. Sesshomaru frowned, not understanding what she meant.

"That does not answer my question."

"Heavens have mercy, of course it does. The potion locked memories of Nanami and anything she was the cause of." The witch flung her arms up in the air in frustration. "You would not have remembered your father's death if she was the cause of it or had a direct part in it!"

Sesshomaru felt as if he had fallen through the earth into a pit of freezing water, realizing that he and his mother were the ones that ruined the life of an innocent girl, and that his mother hated the girl for erroneous suspicions.

"Are you sure of that?" He demanded, holding on to the hope that he wasn't wrong.

"I consider that an insult. I can see the past, the present, the future. I made that potion so that the innocent girl whose life you crippled would not have to live her life in regret. If you doubt me, then go to the netherworld and ask your father."

"How do I know this is anything but deception?"

"I have no need to deceive. I held her power once, I was the one who returned it to the original bloodline if the chosen one was worthy of it. I would have never given her that power if she would have been a murderer."

"Fine. Where is she now?" Sesshoumaru still held her claims in doubt, but elected to accede to them for the sake of finding the girl.

"You won't get her back. She will not trust you."

"If you think that will stop me from going after-"

"I know it will not, but I am warning you in advance."

"Much appreciated, but I already know that. Tell me where she is."

"The only reason I will do so is because she is in danger there as she is here. But she will not be able to protect herself from all her enemies. From what I have seen, if you do not go after her and get her out on time, she will be trapped, her family's lands lost, her life in danger. You cannot let her power get into the wrong hands in any way… You must be silent, she must not recognize you until you get her out, otherwise both of you will be caught and heavens know what they will do to you."

"You cannot see what will happen?"

"Not if you have not done anything yet. Pay attention. She will be in a small fort in a large bay, on the only island 50miles directly north of Hokkaido… Make your decision now, do you want her back?"

"No. But I swore an oath to my father…and I will not dishonor him." Sesshomaru did not allow himself enough time to regain his senses and do the logical thing - walk away.

The witch scoffed -Oh, yes, yes.. of course. Foolish boy.-

"Then trust me. Come, there is much you need to know and we must do before you leave."

The ship cut through the waves smoothly, breaking each wave with ease. In the captain's cabin, Nanami sat at a table, arms folded over it and her head resting on them. The captain sat across from her, his arms crossed over his chest, observing the young woman.

"What happened, Zhanna?" He asked for the third time that night. Again she did not answer, just shook her head.

"Please, you can tell me. What's wrong? What happened? Why won't you talk to me?"

Finally, she looked up. "Vlad... please. I don't know what happened. I don't know... I... " She mumbled weakly. The man sighed and took one of her hands into his and kissed it.

"I want to help you, but to do that, I need to know what happened."

"With all due respect... there is nothing you could do to help me." Nanami pulled her hand away and stood up.

"Zhanna-" Vlad tried to talk to her, but Nanami interrupted him.

"I don't want to talk about this."

Vlad looked at the woman. -She's changed. Something most definitely happened.- He scowled at her cold tone, shuffled in his chair and glared at the woman as if she was guilty of sin.

"Who was he?" He questioned. "That demon. Why was he after you?"

Nanami looked at him nervously. "No one."

"You lie. Speak the truth."

"No one. Just another demon attempting to kill me. I do not need your help, so leave me to deal with my life and my problems alone."

The captain was utterly shocked at her response. Just barely a year ago, they made the decision that they will be together and get married when she comes back, but now she seemed irritated by him.

"Fine. Get some rest... Clear your head. Maybe tomorrow you will come to your senses." Vlad muttered and left the cabin.

Nanami sat down on the bed and cried into her palms. -You ruined everything, Sesshomaru. Everything.-


	5. Control

Five Months Later

The midday, late summer sun warmed the roofs of a small seaside fort. The main street inside of the city was bustling with merchants selling their goods, heavyset women baking mouthwatering pastries, and foreign dames fortune telling to young, naive girls. On the shore, a group of soldiers were patching up a collapsed wall that was struck by a small tsunami two weeks prior during an earthquake. It had saved the city from major damage and withstood the blow, but the next morning it collapsed. The wall was nearly completed, and the soldiers were eagerly working on the last bits and finishing touches. Their mothers, wives, daughters or sisters had a habit of taking turns and bringing the men their meals. On the last day, one of the captains' sister, Maria, volunteered and convinced a friend to come as well. Maria walked through the markets, browsing, wearing a silk green kimono that matched her bright eyes. She had long brown hair pinned up in a messy bun, lightly tanned skin and a few freckles on her small nose and cheeks. She turned men's heads, and she took pride in it. She walked with a light bounce in her step, and would occasionally nudge her friend's side and say "Zhanna, he's looking at us!" or "what a charmer!' while Zhanna rolled her eyes or ignored her remarks. Zhanna carried a second basket for the soldiers in one hand, and picked up her blue, silk dress that billowed around her feet from the street floor. Her long, golden blonde curls pinned half up and draped over her shoulder and her gray eyes scoped out any odd merchandise on her way. This was Zhanna's first time out to bring food to the soldiers; she didn't want to be around them, or many other people in the fort, since they considered her a traitor as soon as they found out that she left her former post and fled to Japan. Zhanna had grown accustomed to receiving dirty looks or insulting glares, and simply ignored them. But they did not know that she left by her father's order, to lie low while the war between the Southern warlord and her kinsmen raged on. Several ports had been captured, and her fathered deemed it safer for her to seek shelter in Japan.

As the two women approached the repair site, Maria began to fidget with the basket and bite her lower lip. Zhanna noticed and frowned. "What's the matter?"

Maria beamed. "I may have met a handsome, dashing young man with devilish eyes working here!"

Zhanna let out a 'that's typical' sigh. "Men. Is that all you think about?"

"Almost all. I'm a noblewoman with plenty of money and time. I can afford to take a profound interest in men."

"Hmm... 'profound interest in men'. That's a way to put it delicately..." Zhanna joked, causing Maria to slap her arm and call her something less than noble.

"Oh, shut up and look, there he is!" Maria whispered as soon as they entered the rebuilding site. She pointed at a young man in a loose, dirty white linen shirt with shoulder-length brown hair and dark purple eyes. Zhanna thought she had just had the wind knocked out of her. -No, not possible... What the hell is he doing here?!-

"I told you he was gorgeous." Maria giggled, seeing Zhanna's stupefied expression. Zhanna awarded her with a questioning look.

She straightened up, her neck stiff with apprehension, and walked to the other half of the squad, still doubting herself for what she had seen. The soldiers stopped working, washed their hands and made their way toward the two women. Maria bat her long lashes at every attractive soldier that she handed a meal to and soaked up every compliment she received. Yet she kept close to the dark eyed man. Zhanna kept both of them in sight as she handed the meals out to every soldier. All of them received their share except for one last soldier. She pulled out the last meal, her eyes still fixed on her friend. Finally she turned and gave the meal to a young, well built man with medium length pitch black hair wearing brown pants and a partially undone linen shirt. Her eyes wandered back to her friend, but were immediately diverted back when the soldier's hands wrapped around her wrist and hand instead of retrieving the meal.

"Nanami...Still alive, I see…" He said quietly in a deep voice. Zhanna's heart shuddered and skipped a beat as she recognized his voice, his amber eyes and a scar on his left forearm. He didn't take the food and just left toward the wall. At first Zhanna thought she was hallucinating: the man didn't look like Sesshomaru, but the scar, the eyes, the same voice... and he knew her childhood name. No one here knew her as Nanami. She was Zhanna to them, but that was not her real name either. She stood in place silently, staring in disbelief at the now black haired Sesshomaru. -Why is he here? What does he want? I couldn't even recognize him... No marks, no silver hair… what did he do?-

Sesshomaru sat down next to Ryuu, and just looked at Nanami. Her eyes told him she never wanted to see him again; he felt like he was a nightmare that became reality in Nanami's life. -I may have ruined your life, Nanami but …you are still a threat.- Deep down in the abyss of his mind, Sesshomaru felt his fault and ignorance, but his pride stopped him from admitting it to himself. Yet he was willing to turn the world upside down and inside out just to have her back in his sphere of influence and protection, no matter what the reason for it was.

But she now glared at him with ferocious eyes: shock was wearing off and fury stepped in. -If he wants his head to stay on his shoulders... he should leave now.- She then growled an indistinguishable threat and stormed off. After about five steps, she launched her basket with Sesshomaru's meal in it against a wall and onto the dirt road. Her friend and Ryuu were too busy to notice, and the soldiers too hungry, but Sesshomaru's eyes seemed to be glued to her as they traced her angry steps and watched her storm out of the compound. He felt guilt's prickly fingers clutch his throat but dismissed it in less than a second. He looked down into his palms at the stained glass bracelet he slipped off of Nanami's wrist and crushed it in his fist before turning it to the side, watching the colorful dust flutter from his hands.

Nanami flounced back out of the camp, furious beyond understanding at Sesshomaru for even having the nerve to seek her out. -What the hell is he thinking? That I owe him something after all he's done? That it's my fault and I have to compensate for it? ... How could he... Has he no feelings, no conscience whatsoever? Does he not realize what he has done to me and my life?- Nanami quickly returned to the center of the city and inadvertently ran into Vlad. He smiled, wished her good morning and hugged her.

"You're back early." He commented, his arm draped over her shoulder as he walked her toward the beach again. Nanami tried her best to suppress her urge to run off.

"I ... just didn't want to take too long." She murmured.

"Why is that? You seem angry."

"Do I?" She grew nervous, not wanting him to find out about Sesshomaru. "Just a terrible headache." She rubbed her forehead as if she really had one.

"Oh..." Vlad observed her and nodded understandingly. Then he frowned. "Who touched you?"

"What?"

"Your wrist, the smudges… It looks like someone held your wrist." Vlad muttered in a tone laced with mild concern. Nanami glanced over at her wrist and blushed. She had been completely oblivious to the fact that Sesshomaru had spent all day at the wall and he grabbed her wrist a few minutes ago.

"And where is your bracelet? The one I gave to you?"

Nanami had no clue that Sesshomaru managed to slip the bracelet off her wrist. She did not know how to respond. Denying wouldn't work since he had seen her put it on this morning before she left and it was not easy to lose. She simply looked up, and shook her head. "I helped a soldier up and it must have slipped off."

"Just ..slipped off?" Vlad's eyebrows were perched up in suspicion. Nanami shrugged. Vlad had a neurotic tendency and a jealous streak. Nanami knew there was nothing to change his mind. Vlad just sighed, his hand slipped from her shoulders to her waist, and he led her back toward the beach. He stopped behind the workers, next to a commander.

"Which one worked with the plaster last shift?" Vlad demanded, his arms crossed over his chest. The soldier pointed to a man with black hair lingering alone at the edge of the compound, arms crossed.

"Is that him?" Vlad asked Nanami. She didn't reply, not knowing what he would do to Sesshomaru if he found out. Vlad grabbed her arm and squeezed hard.

"Is that him?" He asked sternly. Nanami wrenched her arm back out of his grasp and reluctantly nodded. Perhaps if she did not try to hide it he wouldn't recognize him. Vlad turned his attention to the soldier and let out a loud, piercing whistle, motioning to the soldier with his hand to come down. Sesshomaru glanced behind him and recognized the man as the captain of the boat Nanami left on. Nanami locked her gaze down to the ground and avoided his eyes. He approached them and stopped in front of the man and waited for him to speak. Vlad looked at the man from head to toe, especially at his hands. Their size matched the ones that were on Nanami's wrist. Some of the paint and plaster still remained. Vlad scowled. This soldier gave him an uneasy feeling; he was sure he had seen him before.

"Where is her bracelet, soldier?"

Sesshomaru merely shrugged.

"Don't play innocent. You are crossing all boundaries, grabbing a woman to steal her jewels… Even more so my woman." Vlad took a step forward. At those words, Nanami flinched, her frustrated gaze still on the ground. Sesshomaru smirked.

"Your woman?"

"Yes, mine. Show some respect. I will not tolerate stealing… Keep your filthy hands to yourself. Don't even look at her." Vlad felt over protective and competitive with this man for no apparent reason. Not that that was anything new.

"She doesn't seem to think so." Sesshomaru retorted and glanced at Nanami, who shook her head in warning. He simply glared at her. Vlad observed their interaction, and jealousy drowned him.

"Zhanna... go home. You and I shall have a chat later." Vlad grumbled, but the girl stood in place.

"What are you going to-" Nanami was interrupted by Vlad.

"I said go-"

"What are you-"

"Go!" Vlad shouted and pushed the girl toward the road. Sesshomaru's eyes flickered. Vlad whirled around toward the soldier.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Vlad snarled.

"I was about to ask you the very same question... Vladimir."

Vlad stared at Sesshomaru, insulted by the informality. "Who the hell are you?"

"A soldier."

"Then why is it that I do not know you? This is my army."

"If this is your army wouldn't you know who your soldiers were?"

Vlad lost his temper and slammed a fist over Sesshomaru's jaw. For whatever reason, he let the blow land before he swiftly grabbed Vlad by his neck. Nanami watched silently, arms crossed, not knowing if Sesshomaru would tear the man to shreds or choke him to death. But then a simple cold smile crossed his lips and he let go.

"Even she has hit me harder than you... how pathetic."

Vlad's temper flared and he took a dangerous step toward Sesshomaru. "How do you know her, soldier?'

"Why don't you ask her yourself? If she is indeed your woman, she wouldn't keep secrets from you."

Vlad turned and glared at Nanami, who avoided his gaze and looked down briefly, then turned back to Sesshomaru, staring death at him. -You proud, damned fool. Why did you have to aggravate him and bring attention to yourself?-

"I am asking you, not her." Vlad seethed.

"My past doesn't concern you. I did not come here so I could explain myself to you."

"I do not give a shit about your past, all I care about is who you are, why you are here and why you are after Zhanna!"

"Zhanna, is it? ... Well, she knows why I'm here, and that's all that matters." Sesshomaru looked at the girl and walked back to his post. Vlad looked as if he was about to explode. Nanami felt a chill run down her spine at Sesshomaru's comment. Her eyes were fixated on the young man, and she had no idea of what she should do, or what to think... All she knew was that Vlad would not let this go by without punishment.

Vlad signaled he supervisor to come back to him. "Relieve that one of his post, and his duties. I want him out of the city immediately." He growled. The supervisor opened his mouth to ask for an explanation but was cut short by "That's an order."

Vlad grabbed Nanami by her arm and dragged her back toward the city.

"You know him... You know him and you lied to me. You're infatuated with him!" Vlad growled at her. Nanami scowled at him coldly. -How can someone be so neurotic?-

"Yes. I know him. No, I'm not infatuated with him. And I'm not obligated to tell you everything that goes on in my life."

"Oh, please! I've seen how he looks at you and how you look back! He's the one that you asked me to save you from! That demon on the beach! Do you take me for an idiot? I know what's going on!"

"The man 'I asked you to save me from'?! I do not recall ever asking you to save me from anything! I only asked you to send me a small boat to take me home! Why do you always have to make it as if I'm completely dependent upon you?!" Nanami snapped.

"Where would you be without me? You could not last four months over there without me!" Vlad barked back.

"I would be home if it wasn't for you! You had to come and get me and take me to your city, where everyone hates me through and through! You knew that! You wanted me to feel weak and completely dependent on you!"

"I wanted you to be with me! I love you! I-"

"You don't love me! You love what you will get out of the marriage! You marry me, you lay clam to the wealthiest districts in mainland north! You gain their forces, their riches, their allies and some of the most prosperous ports in Asia!" Nanami yelled into Vlad's face -He'd lay claim to the entire north, the last surviving capitol of our race, and the most notorious fleet and host . If he knew who I truly am… -

"Tell me, how can there be love if such a prize stands behind my back? Especially if your father set you up for it!" Nanami scowled.

"You have no other choice. I'm the best you could ever find with your glowing reputation, so you should be thankful. You are my woman, and you will behave as such." Vlad said coldly, balked that she wasn't clueless about his plans.

"I was not, am not, and never will be yours." Nanami growled threateningly.

"So you say, but you are nothing without me."

"That is your theory." Nanami turned her back to him and tried to walked away.

"Oh, believe me. I'll make it true... and you will never see that demon again."

"What makes you think that you'll ever see me again?" Nanami snarled. Vlad lost his temper and tightened his grip on her arm. He pushed her up against a wall in a narrow alley that led to the back of a small bakery.

"Now you listen to me, princess, this argument never happened, you've never met that demon, and you will obey me... Use some sense. It will be for your own benefit, even if you don't love me. You'll have a secure future… a home, protection, a comfortable, luxurious life. Be reasonable! … Now... the governor's banquet is tonight, and we are expected, so you go back to the house, clean yourself up and get dressed."

"And if I won't?"

"You will..." Vlad threatened and pushed her out of the alley onto the street. "Stop being such a child."

Nanami straightened up, stared daggers at Vlad and stormed off toward the house.

As sunset approached, the city lit its lanterns and the merchants locked up their wagons and kiosks. At the governor's mansion, the gardens were alive with wealthy nobles, merchants, businessmen, military officials, and other individuals of high social status. Tables were adorned with beautiful settings and expensive silverware. Guests delighted in hearty dishes, delicacies and each other's company. At the governor's table, the availability of wine was endless, and within less than two hours, the governor and his selected guests were all well and drunk. They started making obscene comments about their wives and singing songs that could barely be understood. Vlad and a Japanese man with long black hair and cold eyes were the only ones still somewhat sober.

"Vladimir! My boy, were you not getting married? I would like to see your future wife!" The governor suddenly turned his attention toward Vlad.

"As you wish, uncle." Vlad said uneasily, not sure of why all of a sudden the governor wanted to see his paramour. He was also afraid of what her behavior may be after their fight. Vlad stood up and left toward the fountains below the top garden.

Zhanna was sitting on a stone bench next to the fountain, staring at the water. She wore an elaborate red gown, golden chandelier earrings and her hair was pinned up by golden hair clips with gems.

"Zhanna? The governor requested to see you." Vlad said calmly, as if nothing happened between them.

"That's not my name." She mumbled, running her fingers through the water.

Vlad looked at her with surprise. "What are you talking about?"

She turned and looked up at him, her eyes filled with enmity. "My name is not Zhanna." She repeated, then stood up.

"I am through with lying all the time. You want to know what's wrong with me? I am tired of being someone I am not day and night. I am through with being scared, of having to hide all my life, of letting others control me. So before you try to treat me as a puppet, and tell me that I am a hopeless little puppy, just remember you are nowhere near the first to try. 'Zhanna' is nothing but a mask." Nanami growled as she walked up to Vlad. She gave him a cold stare before saying "That is all you will know about me... for now."

Vlad snickered and began to walk up the stairs. Nanami rolled her eyes and glared reluctantly at his back before trailing behind him.

The two arrived at the governor's table without saying a word and two feet apart. The drunk governor stared at Nanami with glossy eyes.

"Is that her?" He asked. Vlad nodded and glanced lovingly at Nanami. She hesitatingly took a step toward the governor.

"You requested me, governor?" She said politely.

"Yes... you look familiar... so when will you be marrying my nephew?" The governor rubbed his bulging belly.

Nanami's jaw tightened. She turned to Vlad, stared daggers at him and turned back around.

"Unfortunately for him... not anytime soon." She said and followed with a sweet, harmless smile. Vlad sat down in his chair.

"Actually, she does not know, but I have arranged for the ceremony to take place tomorrow." He corrected her. "It was meant to be a surprise."

Nanami smiled a coy smile, walked up to Vlad and placed a light kiss on his cheek before whispering "Biggest mistake of your life." She excused herself from the banquet, all smiles and sweetness, and stormed off toward the beach. Vlad swallowed a lump in his throat and looked at the men at the table. Then he swallowed a goblet full of strong liquor and attempted to join in the revelries. His mind kept drifting back to the woman. He looked toward the beach. -This has gone far enough.-

"Will you excuse me, gentlemen? I have some unattended business to take care of." Vlad mumbled, stood up, finished his wine and slammed the goblet on the table. The men stared speechless as Vlad followed the footsteps of his betrothed, then they resumed their drinking.

Vlad caught the woman in red a long distance down the beach and took hold of her wrist. She frowned but did not wrangle it out of his grip.

"Let's have a grown up talk, shall we?" He snarled and led her down to the beach where the cliffs towered over the ocean. Vlad stopped behind a large boulder that had at one time broken off the cliff. He let go of Nanami and faced her.

"What is happening with you?" He demanded but received no answer.

"Are you ill?" He asked again. "What is this nonsense about being nothing but a mask? And why do you hate me all of a sudden? We were so close…What has turned you so bitter?"

"Nothing is happening that you must be aware of. Leave me alone. You have had too much to drink." Nanami muttered and pushed Vlad away. He growled and slammed her to the ground, his palm over her mouth. He reeked of liquor.

"I don't know why I even asked. You were with that demon the whole time. You betrayed me! You sold yourself to him! You wench! What does he have that I don't?!" Vlad exploded and pinned her wrists above her head. He stared at her with miserable eyes.

"I trusted you... I loved you... I still love you... And you go and stab me in the back by involving yourself with that fiend. He stole you from me! You … you gave yourself to him, didn't you? Is that why he said you don't belong to me?!"

"I've never done such a thing! Nothing of that sort happened! I didn't know who he was until the night I got on your damn boat! I didn't know! I thought he was the one that burned my village! I thought he was a killer! And he was! He killed me!" Nanami shouted, realizing how insane she sounded.

"Bullshit! How could he have killed you if you're here now?! Are you crazed? Mentally disturbed?! Stop lying to me! Stop making a fool of me!"

"I'm not! He spared my life when I was on the brink of death! I'm not lying! All that went on was us trying to kill each other! Nothing happened! He's nothing but a long gone past!"

"Oh, I beg to differ! Why would he be here then, if nothing happened? Why would he be in disguise? If he wanted to kill you, don't you think he would have done it already?! And, if you ask me, he's not acting or talking like he wants your blood! So tell me, why is he here?!"

"I don't know! I don't know why he's here! I don't know what else he wants from me! There's nothing else he can do to me or take from me because there's nothing left!" Nanami shouted and dropped her head to the sand. She was confused, heartbroken and guilt-ridden. She felt guilty for everything, responsible for all the pain she felt and the pain she caused others. It was the reason holding her from fighting off Vlad.

"Do you love him?" He asked coldly.

"No." Nanami whispered immediately.

"Does he love you?"

"No."

"Then why are you so different now that he's here?"

"I hate him. He ruined my life. He ruined everything."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"If I was, I would have broken free by now."

"Would you now? I doubt that."

"What does it matter? I am neither yours nor his."

"You know, to get far in this world, you have to take what you want. And if I can't have what I want, I will take it," Vlad growled and ripped the front of her dress. Nanami tried to kick him off, but he took out a dagger from his belt and put it to her throat.

"Don't make me kill you. I'm not your little demon." Then his lips crashed on hers and his right hand put the dagger's sharp blade on her wrists, so that the slightest move would slit her veins. His other hand rudely explored every curve of her body. She cried out but her screams were stifled by his mouth. Every time she tried to move, he would push the dagger closer to her skin, making her stop. He kept ripping the front of her dress until there was nothing left to rip. His hands grabbed her bare chest roughly, making Nanami scream at the top of her lungs and try to kick him off, eventually cutting the skin on her wrists, but not deep enough to reach her veins. She abandoned her attempts to free herself and closed her eyes, crying and begging him to stop. That didn't work either. Vlad finally removed the blade when he reached to undo his pants. At that moment Nanami bolted upright and set his clothes on fire. She punched him twice and kicked him into the water. She clutched whatever remained of the dress tightly around herself, and ran along the coast, as fast as her legs could carry her. Nanami didn't know where she was headed nor what she was going to do. She just ran to the brink of exhaustion until she collapsed on the sand. The waves crashed over her and the wind howled. She stood up, shaking, tightening her hold on the shredded dress. Nanami stumbled across the sand for a few more minutes when she saw two figures stop dead in their tracks and face her direction. The feminine one ran up the coast toward the wall, the other one just seemed to stand and stare at her. Nanami made no movement or sound whatsoever. The last thing she wanted was for someone to see her half naked in a ripped dress. The whole city would know then. They despised her enough as it was, and if word gets out about her strolling on the beach looking like she did... there'd be no end to the rumors. But neither did Nanami want to go back the way she came and run into Vlad.

After a short while, the feminine figure returned with another man and they headed toward her. Once they got closer, Nanami began to back up. She hugged the shredded red dress tighter around her. She decided to just quickly pass by them when the feminine figure ran forward and up to her. Nanami instinctively backed away from the girl.

"Zhanna?! What happened to you?" Maria's voice echoed. Nanami thought she would be happy to see her friend, but she knew if Maria was there, then that meant Ryuu was with her as well. And if Ryuu was there... she had a pretty good idea who the other silhouette was. Nanami scowled at the approaching man with black hair and light jacket. Nanami recognized Sesshomaru and panicked. -No. Not you.- She twisted the remains of the dress so tightly around herself that it felt like a corset that would crush her bones into dust.

"Zhanna? Are you alright? What happened?" Maria asked nervously, but did not approach her. Neither did Ryuu. Only Sesshomaru kept walking toward her. Nanami ignored the other two completely and just glared at Sesshomaru with hateful eyes.

"Stay away from me." She growled. Sesshomaru just looked at her with his usual unemotional stare and approached her.

"Stay away." She repeated, wrapping her arms tightly around her body. Sesshomaru neared her and took off his jacket. Nanami frowned and backed away another step. Sesshomaru stretched out his arm with the jacket in his hand. Nanami just glared at him coldly as he walked up to her and put the jacket on her shoulders. Nanami flinched away from him, but didn't say a word. He looked back at Ryuu, who took hold of Maria's arm and walked her back to the wall. Sesshomaru glanced at Nanami one more time then stepped back and started to walk slowly along the coast. Nanami did not understand the gesture and started walking too, looking back to see if Vlad was behind her. She wrapped the long jacket around her, covering her down to about 4inches above her knee. She straightened the remnants of her dress and tied what she could in place before glancing behind her again.

"He won't hurt you. You can stop looking back." Sesshomaru muttered. Nanami didn't say anything for a while.

"Why are you here?" She finally managed.

"I don't have to explain." He said calmly.

"To me you do..." Nanami hissed. Sesshomaru stopped and looked at Nanami.

"You know why I'm here."

"Actually, no, I don't. I don't even know who you are."

"As if I know who you are? I am starting to think no one knows. Not even yourself."

"You're one to talk." Nanami growled and walked past Sesshomaru. He followed behind her and grit his teeth, his eyes scanning the woman head to toe, debating whether to save her or give into the impulse to drown her in the waves.

"I'm not here to kill you. If I wanted you dead, I would have done it months ago." He finally broke the tense silence.

"You can't kill me." She grumbled, knowing there was no need to hide her power from him now that he was aware of it.

"Already have." He retorted cooly.

Nanami turned around and stared at him, upset by his comment.

"Just stay out of my life. You've done enough." Nanami whispered.

"I can't leave you here. You have to go back to Japan."

"Why? So you and your matriarch can torture me even further?"

"The black eyed parasite is here to make a deal with your man."

"He's not my man, and neither are you my protector. I'm better off on my own." Nanami snarled in utter irritation and rushed toward the docks a mile away. She was leaving back to Japan, she knew more people there that she could trust. She had no one here. And she was not ready to go home, being in the state that she was, neither did she have the means. Her family knew she was in Japan last, and thats where anyone would look, if they bothered.

Sesshomaru was stunned for a moment by her comment, but followed her anyway. He stopped in front of her.

"I did not come all this way after that old witch hid all the markings passed down from my father, after she told me to act human so that you could tell me to stay away-"

"Stay away..." Nanami hissed, glaring at him. "What makes you think that I will ever forgive you after you crippled my life?!"

"Because you crippled me. You are my greatest enemy. You're the only person that can stop me from doing anything, or make me do the impossible. And I despise you for it. But I can't leave you when I know you're in danger. I made a promise to my father. I'm not betraying him. " Sesshomaru yelled, standing so close to Nanami, he could smell Vlad on her. "I can't leave you alone when that pathetic weakling dares to even breathe on you."

Nanami wasn't sure who was more taken aback - her or Sesshomaru himself. She looked at Sesshomaru, really looked at him. He was so different. His hair was short and black, there were no traces left of his demon markings. He changed from an aristocratic, dangerous demon to a human-like construction worker. Tears threatened as she looked deep into those amber eyes that haunted her from childhood. She turned away, then suddenly slapped him hard across his face. He stood up straight again and rubbed his jaw. Just then she slapped him again, then resumed walking toward the docks. Sesshomaru rubbed his face and looked after Nanami. A smirk crossed his face and he followed her.

Vlad stood in clean clothes at the dock, with a dozen soldiers behind him, knowing that this was where Zhanna was headed. He finally realized that she was not who she said she was. The Zhanna he knew could not set his clothes on fire. She had no powers, no secrets. Next to Vlad stood the Japanese man with pitch black hair and black eyes. As he saw Zhanna approach with Sesshomaru behind her, he let out a bone chilling chuckle, entertained at the sight of the dog demon's disguise.

"With her power, we will be gods on this earth. " He said coldly. Vlad glanced at Sesshomaru.

"What about him?"

"When I'm through, you will be drinking wine out of his empty skull." The foreigner smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. Vlad scoffed, then looked at the Japanese man.

"Deal." He said confidently, then looked at Zhanna. -Let's see who's behind that mask, shall we?-

As Nanami and Sesshomaru reached the weathered docks, full of merchant barges big and small, new and old, Nanami glanced at Sesshomaru suspiciously. -How does he know where to go to? I never said anything about a ship... he had to have been spying...- Nanami fumed to herself, knowing that she asked Maria to get the ship ready in secrecy. Then Nanami reached the conclusion that she must have spilled it to Ryuu when they were together. Sesshomaru walked across the huge, water-worn planks toward a small oak ship with white sails and stacks of barrels on deck. He grabbed a plank and placed one end of it on the ship's rail. Then he turned, waiting for Nanami to get on. She eyed him darkly.

"Why should I get on a boat with you?"

"Then swim if you would like." He said indifferently and jumped on the boat.

Nanami clenched her fists and stormed onboard. -Contradicting bastard. First he nearly begs me to come with him and now it's 'get lost'.-

Ryuu walked out of the galley, but backed down a step as soon as he saw Nanami. She looked at him with murderous eyes and let out a low, growl sounding curse. Ryuu cringed, eventhough he did not hear what she snarled at him, he had a pretty good idea. He gulped and sank back down into the galley. Maria greeted him and looked at him strangely.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just that if I breathe anywhere near your friend, I'll be leaving this ship with one less appendage... or my head... or all of the above." Ryuu dropped down onto the last step and pulled out a flask filled with sake. Maria, still wearing her green dress, looked at him like he was crazy.

"What are you talking about, Zhanna wouldn't hurt a fly."

"As far as you know. That's not Zhanna. That's Nanami. And the first time we met, she slammed my head into a tree. I lost three teeth after being around her for about two minutes." Ryuu laughed nervously. Maria frowned and grabbed the flask from him.

"You drink too much..."

Ryuu grumbled and then went to raise the anchor from the waves while Maria lit the candles in the galley.

Sesshomaru began pulling the wooden plank on deck.

"If I see you or Ryuu anywhere near me, you will both serve as an anchor." Nanami hissed at Sesshomaru, who looked up as if he was rudely interrupted and glanced at Nanami coldly. He stared at her while he slammed the plank on board. Nanami looked away as soon as the plank crashed with a loud thunk and scraping sound. Sesshomaru turned back towards the pier and heard dozens of thumping boots run toward the ship. He calmly sliced the rope that held the ship in dock and watched the boat pull away slowly.

Tsuneo stopped on the shore, with Vlad looking at him in confusion. -Why is he just standing there? They're leaving port!-

"Now." The demon mumbled, seemingly to no one.

"Now? Now what?" Vlad questioned but the man just smiled a bloodthirsty smile.

Sesshomaru turned to see Nanami standing on the opposite railing, her back to him. He frowned and tried to figure out what she was doing. Nanami was staring at the dark waves, trying to see where the bubbles and muffled shrieks were coming from. Then a small child popped out of the water, gasping for air and screaming for help. Nanami balked as she realized the child was Rin. Without thinking anything through, she dove into the water. Nanami took hold of the girl and swam toward the ship. Rin smiled her usual toothy grin, but within a second it turned into a hoarse cackle and her face began to distort. Nanami frowned and let go of the thing that was morphing into a man in the water; it grabbed her by her wrists and pulled her under.

As soon as Sesshomaru saw Nanami dive into the waves, he prepared to sprint toward her, but was stopped by two dozen soldiers aiming primitive shotguns at him.

"Turn the vessel back!" One yelled. Sesshomaru turned and glared at the soldiers. -That peasant dares to command me?- He growled and in a split second sliced the soldiers' weapons into three pieces with his acid whip. They backed up a few steps, not knowing what happened. Vlad stood on the opposite dock, behind the soldiers, and he felt a cold sweat drown him. -Who the hell is he? And who is Zhanna for that matter?- He glanced at his co-conspirator, who was simply smiling.

"Stop your worrying. Everything is going according to plan." He announced and began to walk toward the ship.

Nanami tried to break free from the demon's grasp, an eerie twin to the demon on shore. She kicked him anywhere she could and pummeled his face with her one freed fist, but he just kept dragging her lower and lower... The miasma floated upwards from the demon, poisoning everything around it, including Nanami. She tried desperately to break free, she was running out of air, and the miasma seemed to speed up her shortness of breath and weakened her like nothing she has ever felt before. The demon pulled her closer to him and slipped off the black gold ring off her finger. Nanami clutched her fist tightly so he wouldn't take it, but the miasma just strangled her and prevented her from doing anything too long. It took all her strength and focus not to inhale the salty last thing she heard before she lost consciousness was someone diving into the waves above.

Sesshomaru swam through the water, into the cloud of miasma that loomed deep below the ship. He swam through it easily, but nothing, and no one was in it. -They cannot take hold of her ring. Last thing that leech needs is more power.- He thought. Not finding anything in the miasma, Sesshomaru swam back up toward the surface and made his way to the boat and climbed its side, pulling himself over the railing.

The black eye doppelgänger held Nanami's limp body in his arms, salty water dripping from her long, undone hair. Some of the clips were still holding it in place at the back of her head, and Sesshomaru's soaked jacket glued itself to her body. On her finger was just a faint impression of the ring from never taking it off.

"Well, this is news. The great Lord Sesshomaru is losing it. He couldn't even rescue a pathetic little girl from the sea. Much less notice that I was in the water long before she even got on the boat… Or that my master was a mere half a mile away from you. You're losing it, Sesshomaru. You're getting weak...Pathetic..." The impostor proclaimed. Sesshomaru's breathing deepened, and he closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were blood-red. The air around the ship got dense, and Sesshomaru was starting to look more like a vicious killing machine than the simple soldier he feigned to be. Down below the deck, Ryuu glared from under the barred cover above the stairs, ready to attack. Maria hid behind barrels of food and wine, holding both palms over her mouth, scared out of her wits.

"Oh, I seem to have struck a nerve... Short tempered like your half-breed brother. You two are more alike than you both fear." The demon taunted. "And what's more... you're like your father, Sesshomaru. You have a craving for weak, pitiful creatures... like that little brat that follows you like a tail... or this piece of pretty meat."

Sesshomaru charged at the malefactor's minion, but he receded behind the barricade of Vlad's soldiers. Sesshomaru seemed to lose any inhibition and destroyed anything in his path. He jumped the fifty feet between the dock and the back of the ship and slashed the already frightened soldiers in half. Nothing seemed to stop him. He cut through the two dozen armed soldiers like a knife through butter. Hours ago he was working alongside the same men. Vlad stared in horror at the spectacle, disturbed and nerve-racked by the sight. His eyes widened in utter terror as Sesshomaru got closer and closer.

"The sword. Where is it?" Tsuneo demanded. Vlad snapped out of his horrified thoughts and took Nanami's sword from his belt and handed it over reluctantly. He had stolen it from the ship before the festival. -Like that damn sword is going to do anything to that beast.- Vlad doubted the demon's reasoning. He was even starting to second-guess the deal he made with him.

Tsuneo's double smirked at Sesshomaru's rage and flashed him the ring. Sesshomaru stopped his rampage, blood dripping from his claws and his mouth. He bared his fierce fangs and growled at the double, who smiled and threw the ring to his master. Then he kissed Nanami's cheek, taunting Sesshomaru, before preparing to slice her throat and let her bleed to death before him. The impostor knew he would not escape death but he was committed to his task. He held her up and the claw on his thumb began to make an incision on her neck.

"Mmm... delicious. " The puppet licked his lips at the scent of her blood and looked at the girl with greedy eyes, trying to push any boundaries Sesshomaru had left. The demon lunged at the doppelgänger with unseen speed and his claws tore through his flesh completely, his hand sticking out from the puppet's back, with his heart, pierced by bone fragments, in Sesshomaru's claws.

The double coughed up blood and smiled weakly. "Impressive." Sesshomaru growled and grabbed his hand back, clutching the heart in his hand. Nanami dropped to the floor with a loud thud. Sesshomaru glanced down at her, not even noticing that his attack had left his deep claw marks on her right shoulder nor the faint trickle of blood down her neck. His hellish eyes shot toward the puppeteer of the bloody charade. He was holding the ring in his hand, admiring its now dark stone. It turned to a dark blue, almost black color, like that of a severe storm over the sea, and swirled in the opposite direction it had before. Vlad stood next to him, glaring at Sesshomaru with disturbed eyes, as if looking at an abomination. He had a shotgun in his hands, aimed at Sesshomaru. His hands were shaking as the furious, red eyed demon approached him, blood dripping from his claws and face. The veins in his arms seemed to pop out of his skin as he tensed his claws.

Down on the old dock, Nanami slowly regained consciousness, clutching her arm in pain. She looked at her wound and saw claw marks. -Sesshomaru...- She groaned in pain and barely got on her knees, the poison still lingering in her body. She repressed the shock and gasped as she saw countless bodies and limbs littering the docks, the shore and the sea around her. The water and sand were tinted red, and the smell of iron and salt filled the air. Nanami repressed a gag and looked around, until she found Sesshomaru, looking like a wild beast, heading toward Vlad. It seemed as though he was about to transform. She began to panic. -What is he doing?-

"Stay back, beast!" Vlad trembled.

"You are not afraid, are you?" Sesshomaru said in a voice so deep and harsh, it seemed not his own. He was holding back the transformation. -Why waste time and energy on something that will be too easy in my true form… it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining.-

The black eyed reprobate resorted to his disappearing act - receding backwards physically and visually. Sesshomaru snarled like a ferocious beast and lashed his whip to no avail as it merely slashed empty air. The demon had side stepped just in time.

"I have what I want. there is nothing you can do to stop me. I'll make sure to drop by when you return home."

Sesshomaru growled once more and lashed out faster, managing to knock Nanami's sword out of his hand, sending it skidding along the ground. Tsuneo didn't waste a breath and vanished where he stood, not risking regaining the sword. Sesshomaru turned toward Vlad, who aimed at Sesshomaru and prepared to pull the trigger.

"No!" Nanami shouted, trying to get up and run toward Sesshomaru, but stopped when Vlad made a foolish mistake and pulled the trigger. The bullet missed Sesshomaru by a hair, but the damage was done. Sesshomaru's rage boiled over as he grabbed the gun out of Vlad's hand and threw it on the ground. Vlad backed away by three steps, scared out of his mind, but not willing to show it. Nanami held on to her shoulder and neared the two men as fast as she could manage, fearing for Vlad's life, despite his wrongdoings. All the years she had known him, he was her friend, her protector, a shoulder to cry on. But ever since he met Sesshomaru, he had changed. Though Sesshomaru had no care who he was. He sliced through him with his acid whip. Vlad let out a pained shout and dropped to the ground. The last thing he saw was a crying Nanami, blood trickling down her neck and from her shoulder to her arm and fingers, the wind blowing stray hairs across her face. Then his eyes closed, his last breath escaped his body, and he collapsed onto the blood stained sand. Nanami put a hand over her mouth to silence a shocked gasp and closed her eyes. She opened them again to see Sesshomaru, still with raging eyes, staring at her. A frightened gasp escaped her. His face was so malicious: eyes bloodthirsty, fangs of a monster, blood splattered all over him. She had seen his more demonic side before, but not to this extent, and not with this much death and utter disregard for life. He approached her, angry that she pitied the man that schemed against her and allied himself with that murderous parasite. As he got closer, Nanami backed away faster, and tears cascaded down her cheeks. Finally, she ran toward the ship that was returning back to the docks. As the vessel approached, Maria peeked out from the galley to see if it was safe to come out, but as soon as she saw all the corpses, she screamed and ran back down below the deck. Nanami glanced back to see where Sesshomaru was, only to find him back to normal, right behind her, with her sword in his hand.

"Stay away from me!" She choked out, terrified of the man. -He's not the Sesshomaru I knew. That's not him…- Sesshomaru looked at her, not knowing what to think, much less what to do. A fire rose in his throat when he saw what he had done to her shoulder. Nanami jumped onto the ship and rushed down to the galley. Sesshomaru leapt onboard and looked around at all he had done. The coast looked like a massacre had taken place on it. Corpses lined the docks, stained the white sands and floated by in the water. Sesshomaru did not even realize that he had done so much damage and taken so many lives. He was so furious at the truth of the double's words that he refused to hold back and avoid the complete obliteration of anything and anyone standing in his way. He slid down against the railing to the floor, looking at his hands, covered in blood of men who's lives he took, whose families he crippled, whose wives he widowed, whose children he left fatherless. - I allowed myself to lose all inhibition and care… I've done what I had to.- Sesshomaru now reminded himself of his own brother when he let his demonic power take over. He could not believe that he, who was always in control of himself, let something like this happen - wrath of that magnitude was not necessary. Remembering the overwhelming desire to unleash his anger sickened him. He was torn. He couldn't understand why he was feeling such remorse for those set out to kill him. Perhaps the black eyed demon was right; he was getting weak. At the very least, he was weak when Rin or Nanami was around. Sesshomaru looked at his hands again and growled, refusing to accept his doubts and uncomfortable revelations. He stood up and leaned over the railing. Ryuu jumped the stairs down from the wheel, and stared at Sesshomaru.

"What happened?" He asked quietly, without his usual playful tone.

Sesshomaru glanced down at the waves again. He reached down into the water and washed off all the blood from his hands, arms, face, neck and chest. Ryuu didn't say anything for a while, until Sesshomaru was done.

"There's some clean clothes in the captain's cabin. I'll be at the wheel if you need me." Ryuu mumbled and returned to his post. Sesshomaru sighed and took off his shirt, drenched in blood. He threw it over board and stared at the water. He growled in annoyance. -The smell…- Sesshomaru jumped the side of the ship, into the cold water, trying to wash off the stench of blood from his skin. He traded the scent of blood for the scent of the salty sea and climbed back on board. He walked into the cabin, a trail of water marking his path, and shut the door.

Down in the galley, Nanami sat at a lone wooden table with two benches on either side while Maria cleansed her upper arm and shoulder. Nanami sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes, every fiber of her being attempting to reassemble the impassive mask she always donned.

"My God... Who did this to you?" Maria asked as she looked at the claw mark in shock. "What happened, anyway? Who is that man?"

"He killed Vlad… all of them. He did this." Nanami whispered. She glanced at her arm. "I need to close the wound…"

Maria had a slightly terrified look on her face at the words but obeyed nonetheless. She stood up and left the galley to fetch medical supplies. She came back and exchanged the bloodied bowl of water with a clean one. Maria stopped and stared at Nanami for a few seconds. Once she made up her mind she reached over to one of the shelves and pulled out a black bottle and handed it to Nanami. She looked at Maria hesitatingly before taking the bottle from her. She opened it and poured a bit of the alcohol onto her wound, at first gritting her teeth then letting out a quiet whimper from the sting. She took a deep breath, grabbing the needle and flamed it using the candle. She shot a quick glance at Maria, who was rubbing her forehead nervously. Nanami washed the medical string in a bit of alcohol before attaching it to the needle and preparing to stitch her own arm.

"Ohhh…" Maria groaned queasily and turned away from Nanami, but did not leave the room, just in case.

"Maria…" Nanami whispered. "I need your help."

Maria shook her head nervously.

"Please… I cannot hold the skin and stitch on my own." Nanami pleaded.

"Alright… I'll try…" Maria barely managed. She washed her hands and sat down on the other side of Nanami, dipping her hands in the alcohol before cautiously placing them on Nanami's arm. Nanami took a deep breath to calm herself and began her work. She tried hard not to make a sound but the pain was too intense with the needle piercing her skin. She let out a pained shout and had to let go of the needle to stop her hand from shaking. Maria had turned a greenish tint and her face was scrunched in revolt and anxiety. Nanami asked her to keep the skin close to each end so she could sew it without having to pull on the edges each time. Maria complied but began to shake as soon as Nanami began the second stitch. Nanami let out another pained cry and Maria let go before she could finish.

"I can't do it, I can't." She mumbled and rushed out of the galley. "Ryuu…" Maria came back seconds later with the demon. Nanami shot a death glare at the man as he approached her. He examined her wound as she kept glaring at him and threatening him not to touch her.

"Get over it… you need help." He grumbled and sat down in Maria's place. He did as she had done and cleansed his hands before touching Nanami.

"Give me the needle." He looked at Nanami. She shook her head in response and prepared to continue.

"It will be quicker and easier for you if I do it. I stitch and you hold still. Your pain will hinder you and will only make this worse than it has to be."

Nanami knew he was right but she wanted to kick him out and just do it all on her own. She did not trust him.

"Just shut up and help me get this over with." She objected. Ryuu rolled his eyes but obeyed. Nanami proceeded and periodically let out pained cries until she managed to finish the first of the gashes. She felt faint and her hand was shaking as she prepared to stitch the next gash. Ryuu caught on and stopped her. He took the needle from her and pushed the bottle of sake toward her with his elbow.

"Drink it. Let me finish." He ordered. Nanami glared at him and did nothing. Ryuu glared right back at her, waiting for her to comply.

"You're only prolonging this."

Nanami took a few deep breaths, took a reluctant swig of the sake and signaled him to finish stitching.

Nanami's pained shouts and groans kept resonating in Sesshomaru's ears as he sat perched above the galley entrance, grimacing from each noise he heard. After a while Ryuu emerged, with the scent of sake masking that of Nanami's blood on his hands. If it wasn't for Sesshomaru's characteristic self control, he would have exhibited every nervous twitch all at once.

Below deck, Maria sat next to Nanami once again.

"Zhanna? Tell me... who are you?" Maria asked quietly while she bandaged her arm. Nanami looked up at Maria, not knowing if she should explain herself to her longtime friend. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"My name is not Zhanna. It's Nanami. Well... it's not my real name, but it's the only one that stuck the longest." Nanami lied, at least partially. "I am not like you... I am immortal, but I have a responsibility that was entrusted to me by an ancient covenant. I was not born here, like I led you to believe. I was born in the north to a warlord and his western queen. My father was allied to a Japanese general, which was quite a feat in itself considering their borders are sealed off to outsiders. When I turned eight, my father took me with him on one of his visits to Japan. Then he had an urgent call to war back home, so he left with the demon general to the frontlines, while I stayed back in Japan... For nearly a decade. That man that came on the boat with me is the demon general's son. Well, one of them. There was a substantial fight when his father died; he thought I killed him, so I left back home. But something happened and I left with no memory of him. Two hundred years have passed. I've been back several times, sometimes for a few months, once or twice I was stranded there for a year or two. A year ago I came back to Japan because I fled from this city, remember? That's when this whole mess, yet another hunt for what I guard, started." Nanami decided to leave it at that. There was much, much more that had transgressed, but she wasn't laying out all her life on the table at once. Maria leaned back in her seat, forgetting that there was no back to it, and caught herself before she fell to the floor.

"So... the whole story about you being just a merchant's daughter from a rich port, mistakenly appointed-?"

"No..." Nanami scoffed, knowing what Maria was asking before she even finished the phrase. "They're rumors. Ridiculous and unoriginal ones at that.."

"I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything. I lied to almost everyone. I had to."

"That's why you're so distant all the time."

"You do not know what I have been through... And I pray you never have to... Please... let's talk about something else."

Maria looked at Nanami's weary eyes for a while. Then finished bandaging her arm. She stood up and cleaned up the table.

"Alright. It'll heal, but I'm sure that's going to leave a scar." Maria sighed then fidgeted with her fingers.

"Is... is Ryuu... you know, that dangerous?" She asked nervously. Nanami thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"Not nearly."

"Are you?"

Nanami looked up at Maria in confusion. "I would never do such a vicious thing." She said quietly and sat silent for a few moments, feeling nauseous. The shock of her ordeal was wearing off: her body was screaming in pain and fatigue, her mind was having difficulty processing what had just passed. She walked out of the galley back onto the deck, taking refuge in the cold sea air. Sesshomaru was no longer there. She walked over to the railing and put her hands over her face, trying to stop herself from shaking.

"It's not his fault." Ryuu said quietly, hoping he could make Nanami understand. She whirled around and glared at him. Then she closed her eyes and turned away, opening them when she faced the ocean, trying to calm her stomach.

"You're not a demon. That's why you don't understand. When we are desperate to protect ourselves or someone important to us, or if someone gets really deep under our skin, our demonic tendencies are justified to take over to do what has to be done. It's our safety net. Our survival instinct. That rarely happens to Sesshomaru, he has incredible control of himself, hardly ever feels threatened, but-" Ryuu explained.

"You are not helping. That will not make me absolve him of all he's done…Do you think the soldiers' families are going to forgive him?" Nanami refused to be lenient with Sesshomaru. "As soon as we reach the shores, none of you will ever see me again. Especially him. He has done enough to me ever since we met. I have had enough. I despise him more than anyone else on this earth."

Ruyy watched the utter hatred and fear fill her eyes.

"He's the one person I would never forgive... You can go and tell him that. Today was the last time he had spoken to or seen me." She continued.

"You should tell him yourself. He wouldn't listen to me."

"That's his problem." Nanami mumbled and left back to the galley where she fell asleep on a small, old cot in a dark room behind the galley.

Ryuu ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Yeah..." Then he took a deep breath and walked into the captain's cabin. Sesshomaru donned clean clothes, and was sitting on the floor, resting his head against the wall next to the door. The cabin's walls were stacked with oak shelves bursting with scrolls and parchments. There was one cot under the glass window on the right side, and a large desk with a massive map spread out on top.

Ryuu sat down on the desk and looked at Sesshomaru. He sighed and prepared to deliver him the news. Sesshomaru took his hands off his temples and opened his eyes.

"I heard. I do not need you to deliver her messages when she practically screamed it out behind this door."

"Right. So... what do you want to do?"

"Nothing. I brought her back to Japan, as was asked. No more, no less." Sesshomaru said coolly. - I should have never chased after her. It was foolish of me. I will return to my life, she will return to hers. Simple as that.- Sesshomaru closed his eyes and feigned indifference. -Like father, like son... chasing after something he cannot have.-

Nanami awoke facing a marred wooden wall of the small room behind the galley. She blinked a few times before sitting upright and looking around. The small, dim room had nothing but six old cots and a large candle in a metal plate on top of a barrel. Maria quietly mumbled something in her sleep on the adjacent cot. Nanami rubbed her eyes and face before collapsing back into bed. She sighed as she remembered the dream she had.

A year after Nanami's father left to war, she was nine, just a little girl. She was running through a forest covered with a blanket of snow, and with snowflakes still floating down to the ground. She wore a light blue kimono with white blossoms on it, a white kimono jacket on top, and her hair billowed behind her under a white hat. She looked behind her and let out a playful laugh, then ducked behind random trees, peeking out and giggling. Then she let out a loud, unexpected, playful scream and ran further into the forest, laughing. Next thing she knew, a young, ten year old boy with short silver hair and amber eyes, wearing a black and dark red winter kimono tackled her with a childish roar. They both giggled as they threw snowballs at each other. The girl hid behind a tree and when the boy least suspected it, launched a rather large snowball at him, hitting him in the face and making him crash into the snow. She laughed and walked out from behind the tree. When he stood up and growled, she started running as fast as she could. She looked back to see where he was, but he wasn't behind her. She frowned and turned back around, only to be met by him right in front of her. He had a smug grin on his face and a big snowball in his hand.

"How did you do that?" Little Nanami asked, curious about Sesshomaru's speedy catch.

"I'm a demon, remember?" He smiled and threw the snowball at her.

Then Nanami's dream jumped to last night, and she saw the grown up Sesshomaru, his demonic nature on full display. Even though she did not see him attack the soldiers that night, she did in her dream. He sliced through the screaming, fleeing soldiers like they were nothing. No one. Their blood splattered all over him, painted the sand and dock, and their lifeless, mutilated bodies lined the shore and floated morbidly in the water. He took his vengeance out on Vlad, cutting through his body without any thought of what he was doing. Nanami's dream ended with the image of Sesshomaru turning to face her when she put her hand over her mouth to silence herself after she saw Vlad die, and she heard little Sesshomaru's voice say in a whisper, "I'm a demon, remember?"

Nanami opened her eyes and saw a ray of morning light come through a small opening in the wall behind her head. -A demon is always going to be a demon. You cannot change their nature. What did you expect? He would never succumb to his true nature? Please…- Nanami lectured herself. She sat up again and put her hands over her head, then brushed her fingers through her hair. Immediately her arms descended back down after an unpleasant feeling of tautness and pain in her injured arm. Nanami's fingers brushed the bandage, careful not to put any excess pressure on the wound, which was slightly swollen. She looked up again at the ray of light, then at Maria. Nanami stood up and dressed in loose, silk black pants, a black shirt made of the same material, lightweight brown leather boots and tan leather bodice. She straightened up and walked out of the room. It was much lighter in the galley because of the open staircase leading to the deck. Nanami stretched, avoiding moving her right arm. She sighed and walked to the stairs, and stopped to listen if anyone else was up. When she was sure no one was, she cautiously walked up the stairs to the deck. She looked around her for anyone, then walked to the railing, watching the colorful sunrise. She exhaled a shaky breath. -I was better off not knowing who he was. What am I supposed to do now? Find the witch and ask her to lock my memory? That would not solve anything. What if they find me again? I'll have to relive this torture once more?- Nanami growled in frustration and leaned on the railing, staring at the water. -Why me? What the hell did I ever do to deserve all this? Why was I entrusted to this damn power?... What's the point? Pitying yourself will not make anything better or easier. Live with it. You handled it for over two centuries. You can do it again.- Nanami turned, still leaning with her elbows on the rail, the sea breeze blowing in her face. She became uncomfortably aware of how empty her stomach was and attempted to block out the gnawing feeling overtaking her. Ryuu was leaning against the door of the captain's cabin, staring at her with sleepy eyes.

"When will we be there?" Nanami demanded coldly.

"Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Ryuu frowned at her rude tone.

"Will you please tell me when we will arrive?" Nanami repeated, in a slightly softer voice. Though from the previous night's events, she could allow herself any cold tone she pleased.

"By sundown, we should reach the shores. If you don't decide to kill us all." Ryuu snapped. Nanami scowled.

"Do tell, what's that supposed to mean?"

"You're furious. I don't know what you would do if anything goes wrong."

"Well, you can avoid any broken bones and lost teeth by stopping your snapping and unneeded remarks and ensuring nothing goes wrong."

"Yes, sir." Ryuu said in a sarcastic voice and mockingly saluted her like soldiers do their higher ranking officers.

"Do you know what I meant by that look when I just got on the ship the first time?"

"The breathe-the-wrong-way-and-I'll-rip-your-throat-out look?"

"I still mean it." Nanami threatened and walked back down to he galley. Ryuu rolled his eyes, stuck his tongue out and silently branded her with an unsavory name. Then he returned back to his post, wondering what Sesshomaru was up to.

Nanami searched the galley's barrels and crates for food. She was hungry, and she wanted to occupy herself with something so she wouldn't have to think about yesterday. She found barrels of grain, wine, spices and strange looking beans and pepper seeds. -Not of much use just now…- She thought helplessly. Then she started digging through the crates. She opened the first one, full of pottery wrapped in old cloths, then the second one, stuffed with luxurious silks from the mainland, and jewels hidden in small boxes wrapped in rags. Nanami eventually got bored and sat down at the single, long table next to the wall. Maria stumbled out of the room and yawned.

"Good morning, Zhan- oi, Nanami." She said lazily.

"I'm sorry I cannot say the same to you." Nanami smiled weakly. Maria just barely waved her hand at her, dismissing her gloominess.

Nanami looked down at her right hand. The ring she received from her mother was gone. She clenched her fist and slammed it on the table, causing it to emit a cracking sound. Maria turned and looked at Nanami.

"Whoa..." She murmured. "You alright?"

"No..." Nanami dropped her head into her palms on the table. She growled in frustration. She had failed to notice her ring was missing. -How could this happen?! How can Tsuneo be in possession of my ring?!- She cursed herself for letting him get it from her so easily, and she knew he would hunt her down again, considering he didn't steal the power he wanted, just her very useful weapon. Maria thought about pressing the subject but decided against it.

"You hungry?" Maria tired to cheer Nanami up.

"No." Nanami had lost any and all appetite and now seemed more depressed than yesterday. Maria had an empty clay cup in her hand and ran her fingers around it, looking at Nanami with pity in her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that. It was my fault all this happened. I was too careless. Off-guard." Nanami now started to blame herself for everything. "Can you just give me a moment to think? ... Please? I need to decide what to do... "

Maria nodded and walked up to the deck, muttering "Take all the time you need." She walked out to the deck and looked up from the stairs. Sesshomaru was standing at the bow of the ship, arms crossed over his chest, staring off into nothing. He heard Maria march up the stairs and glanced at her from the corner of his eye, then returned to his routine, aloof stare.

"Uh... good morning..." She said nervously, trying to be nice just in case he would think to hurt her. It had no effect.

"Maria..." Ryuu's voice called from above. Maria glanced up to where his voice was coming from. Ryuu shook his head, warning her not to talk to him. Maria nodded and trotted up the stairs, stopping next to the wheel.

"Nanami's really upset..." She whispered.

"No shit..." Ryuu retorted, rubbing his weary eyes.

"I mean it. I've never seen her this depressed and frustrated. She cried so much last night... and she barely slept at all... What's going on around here? Who is that guy?" Maria whispered in a tone so quiet, no human ear could decipher the sound. Ryuu exhaled deeply and shook his head.

"There's too much to explain right now. Just leave them to deal with their own problems and don't get involved. Those two can really hold a grudge."

Maria looked back at Sesshomaru, frightened by him, and then back at Ryuu.

"Did I make a mistake coming with her?"

"Honestly... yes."Ryuu sighed warily.

Up until sunset, Nanami stayed down in the galley, avoiding everyone, not saying a word. Maria would occasionally stay with Ryuu, who kept steering toward their destination. Sesshomaru just kept disappearing into the cabin, then would reappear on the bow, but he said nothing and just stared into the sea with absolutely no emotion. Finally, after a whole day of uncomfortable silence and tension, the ship reached the shores of Japan; the same shores that Vlad had retrieved Nanami from. The ship hardly dropped anchor when Nanami swiftly walked out of the galley, sword strapped to her back, her small bag of belongings draped around her shoulder. She dropped the small boat and without a word, she jumped off the ship into it. Maria called after her and asked her to stop and wait. But Nanami was already on the water, rowing to shore. Ryuu just stumbled like a zombie to the captain's quarters and crashed on the cot.

"She left." He mumbled into the untouched pillow. Sesshomaru was leaning against the window sill, looking at the floor. He looked up at Ryuu, debating in his mind if he should really do what he said; just try and forget her, and return to his life. He walked out of the cabin and leapt off the ship right as Nanami disembarked from the boat on shore. He quickly caught up to her, maintaining quite a distance to her left… and simply walked into the forest, like he did not know who she was, as if no one else was there. Nanami acted not to care either, but her eyes could not help but focus on him. It would be the last time she would see him. Sesshomaru knew she was staring at him with those turmoiled blue-gray eyes. But he refused to show any weakness. If this was goodbye, he would leave as he was, unchanged, proud, and unaffected. -You don't matter. You're just another nuisance from a long gone past. I just blame myself for not realizing that sooner.-

Nanami could feel a lump rise in her throat, her emotions and thoughts in turmoil. She silenced her mind and raised her chin higher, her facial expression cold and poised. But she couldn't stop her lips from letting a scoff escape. Sesshomaru heard it, and it made him scowl, but not at her, at himself. He kept up his proud, icy cover, and continued to walk further into the woods. They started to walk further apart from one another, when Inuyasha had emerged out of the woods.

Sesshomaru frowned at why he could not smell him coming, until he found his answer: Nanami's powder that disguised any scent. -How is it possible he's able to interfere every time? How could he have know we'd make landfall here?-

"Nanami! You're back!" Shippo shouted happily. But Nanami was anything but happy about seeing them.

"Who's that?" Sango asked as soon as she saw the man with black hair, wearing simple pants and white shirt. Hearing no answer from anyone, Sango turned to Inuyasha, who had a contorted face as he stared at the man.

"Inuyasha... What's wrong?" She asked and looked closer at the young man still walking deeper into the forest. The her eyes widened.

"Inuyasha... Is that... is that... Sesshomaru?" She asked, hesitating a bit. Inuyasha darted in front of his completely different half-brother.

"What the hell did you do?! You don't even look like yourself!" He blurted out. As usual, Sesshomaru just glared at him and walked past him.

"That's him?!" Sango choked as she stood next to Miroku, who was looking at Nanami. She used the distraction to leave the group, not even bothering to say hello. Miroku nudged Sango gently and motioned to Nanami. Sango ran after the girl and looked at her. Nanami did not talk and just kept walking, doing her best to suppress her emotions.

"What the hell did you do? Look at yourself! And you reek of human blood and the sea?! Have you lost your mind?!" Inuyasha bellowed in his brother's face as he made no attempt to slow down and chat.

Nanami bit back her irritation and pretended to be unfazed. Sango ran up to her again, and took hold of her arm. Nanami jerked it out and faced the young woman.

"I do not have time to catch up right now." She announced, masking her annoyance. Sango sympathized with the girl, she sensed something was amiss. Despite the convincing expression, her face did not hide the evidence of fatigue, pain and lack of sleep.

"Don't be angry... We were just worried about you."

Nanami turned away to walk again. "Everything is as it should be. I must go."

"Who did you kill this time?!" Inuyasha growled. Sesshomaru grabbed him by his neck and glared at him.

"This is not the time for your intrusion, half-breed!" He snarled and shoved Inuyasha against a tree.

"What in the hell is your damn problem? You disappear for five months, leaving your imp and little human kid following us like a damn tail, making us wait at the same campsite in hopes of you coming back… Then you return looking like you were born to some human, pissed off as hell, and trying to get away as if something's after you. That doesn't even sound like you! What the hell happened?!" Inuyasha barked.

"Stay out of this, Inuyasha! Get out of my way." Sesshomaru threatened.

"You messed up, didn't you? You did something cruel, as usual, and -"

"He transformed and ripped apart the whole army, and Nanami's fiancé." An old woman's voice interrupted the arguments and stopped Nanami in her tracks. Inuyasha scowled at the blind, elderly woman beside him and his brother.

"And who are you?"

"I was the previous guardian."

"Guardian of what? You're blind."

"Her and her power. Behave yourself, boy, I will not tolerate such rude behavior in my presence. I am the one that asked Sesshomaru to go after the girl."

Nanami turned toward the old witch in the distance in shock, realizing that the woman must have known she was returning, and had been there waiting for them. She furiously marched closer toward her.

"What?! Are you out of your mind?!" Nanami shouted in her northern language.

"Hush! You will not yell at me." The witch replied in Japanese.

"Like hell I will! He's a monster! He destroyed my life! He killed everyone around me! He's a damned, hell-sent killer! How could you sic him after me?!" Nanami screamed in Japanese now, furious at her former mentor.

"You were in danger, foolish girl! You are safer here! Calm yourself!"

"Calm myself?! Paranoid old hag! How can I calm myself after all that heartless savage had done! After all you have done! It was you who cursed me with this power! Was that not enough punishment for whatever wrong I did?! You had to toy with my existence and send that creature after me?! Well, here! Look at me! Congratulations, you achieved your goal! You drove away all the sanity, peace and control I had in me! You ripped my heart out and crushed it into a thousand pieces! What else do you want from me?! What else can you take?!" Nanami snarled ferociously. "Oh! Of course! How about the lives of half the population of one of the largest and wealthiest cities of my nation? How about the trust of my people, my safe refuge?! The only thing I have left - HAD left!"

Usually, harsh words would anger Sesshomaru considering he never lets anyone speak to him that way, or cares at all for that matter, but now, they just gnawed at him. Of course, he didn't show it, but deep down inside he felt something he had not felt since Rin died. Pain. But then his pride and arrogance set in. He began to walk away. -Why should I care? It's over now. I do not care what happens to you.-

"Silence yourself, girl. I merely wanted to help you. I cannot control his actions. He made the decision to go to any lengths to protect you-"

"It was her power I was protecting. I was simply fulfilling my promise to father. I could not care less what happens to you." Sesshomaru corrected with a stone-cold tone. Sango looked at Sesshomaru with a shocked expression, wondering who that lie served more.

"You seem to change your mind pretty fast." Nanami muttered quietly.

"I had to do what I needed to get your power out of the enemy's grasp. Even stoop so low as to lie."

Nanami stared at him with confounded eyes.

"Leave." She demanded sternly.

Sesshomaru glared at her. "You-"

"Leave!" Nanami yelled. "Leave! And never, ever come anywhere near me! You can go to hell with your damn oath to your father! Leave, Sesshomaru! I have nothing else you can possibly take from me and crush it in front of my eyes!" Nanami's face cringed with rage, her blood boiling. Sesshomaru frowned, but left with no remark, just a cold glare.

The old witch pondered at what she had led Nanami to, and just disappeared behind a large oak tree. Nanami turned away and put her hands on her forehead. She growled softly, furious beyond comprehension, yet not willing to completely fall apart. Sango placed a gentle hand on Nanami's back.

"That wretch. He has no feelings whatsoever. He has no heart. All he cares about is himself." Inuyasha grumbled to Miroku, who looked with sad eyes at Nanami.

"Maybe... But he is still acting strange, don't you think?"

"He's lost it, that's why."

Little Shippo strolled up next to Nanami.

"I'm so sorry, Nanami... I cannot believe how cruel Sesshomaru is. He isn't worth your pain." Shippo tried to comfort her, but Sango glanced at him and shook her head. -This isn't what she wants now, you're too young to understand. Pity will only infuriate her.-

"How could I be so stupid?" Nanami whispered angrily. " How could I not see what he was doing? I am so blind! What was I thinking? Why did I trust him?! I can never go back now, all those dead soldiers… I'm forsaken from my own people now because of his actions. What am I to do now?!"

"It's not your fault." Sango whispered.

"How? I'm the one who led him there, I'm the one who let my guard down! I'm the one that didn't realize that he wasn't the same! He is not the Sesshomaru I knew! How could he do this to me? Hasn't he done enough?!" Nanami shook her head, as if to clear her mind. "I was the one fool enough to think he was like his father."

Miroku and Sango exchanged surprised glances and thought over her words. Then Nanami looked in Sesshomaru's direction.

"He's a demon, remember?" Nanami smirked sarcastically to herself, remembering her dream and her past. She let out a hopeless, twisted hybrid of a scoff and a laugh, and shook her head slightly. Her oddly timed laugh disturbed Sango, but she let her curiosity go.

Eight year old Nanami ran through the snow covered fields, trying to catch snowflakes in her hands, Sesshomaru chasing after her, trying to catch her, both of them laughing. They ran around, chasing each other, throwing snowballs at each other, until they were out of breath and without a care in the world. Nanami sat down on the ground, back to back with Sesshomaru, panting. He held her small, slender hand in his.

"You can't run away from me. I'll always catch you." The ten year old boy said.

"I know, I know, you are a demon." Nanami giggled and looked up at the falling snowflakes.

Sesshomaru kept walking to where he smelled Rin and Jaken. His breath seemed shorter and his throat burned. He clenched his fists tighter, despising the feeling he had in his gut. -Damn her... how could I not see that this would bring nothing but trouble? She has made a fool out of me. I'm not one to be so easily manipulated... yet I've lost all control just because of her... I became like my father... I let my weakness take unmitigated control of me. But I will not be so ignorant, I will not let her cause my own demise…- Sesshomaru rambled to himself. His mind led him in one direction, his instincts in another. He chose to follow his mind. -No more... goodbye forever Nanami... Do what you want, cry all you can, curse as much as you wish, but I will never answer to you, nor will I heed you any care… Forget all that happened in the past... we were just naive children... I now know that there is nothing left between us but hate. So leave it at that…- Sesshomaru spoke in his mind, as if Nanami would somehow hear him. He would not let himself slip away any further from who he was.

Sesshomaru finally arrived at the spot where Rin was sitting in front of the campfire, finishing her dinner consisting of fried fish and a few mushrooms. Jaken was snoring on the opposite side of the fire, twitching and murmuring in his sleep. Ah-un was grazing a few feet away from the camp, not even noticing that his master had returned. A wave of relief washed over Sesshomaru, the sight of his innocent follower calming his nerves and warming his heart. -She is safe. That is all I care about.-

Rin looked up and to her left and saw a stranger with black hair and old clothes. She screeched as loud as she could manage and ran away from the approaching man.

"Quit your shouting, Rin." Sesshomaru said as he winced from the high pitched shriek still ringing in his ears. He sat down on the ground and leaned against a tree trunk near the fire, one leg stretched out, the other bent at the knee, his arm resting on it. He closed his eyes and put his head back. Rin slowly and cautiously approached Sesshomaru. She sat on her knees next to him and inspected him closely. She looked at his face and her fingers touched his cheek where his markings used to be. Sesshomaru opened his eyes and glanced at Rin, a little surprised at what she was doing.

"Lord Sesshomaru... You're back! I missed you so much!" She squealed as soon as she saw his eyes, and clung to his her hands touched his now shorter, black hair.

"Why did you cut your hair and dye it black? And what happened to your markings?"

"A foolish mistake." Sesshomaru answered and let the curious little girl run her fingers through his hair. Jaken finally woke up with a loud snort and popped upwards.

"Hey, what are you doing, silly girl? Stay away from that intruder, Rin!" Jaken squawked.

"Get out of here, you filthy bum! " Jaken ran at Sesshomaru, swinging his staff. Sesshomaru scowled and used his foot to shove the assailant aside.

"Hey, what'd you do that fo-" Jaken stood up and rubbed the swelling bump on his head, but stopped immediately when he looked at the demon's eyes. Jaken felt his guts drop to his ankles and a coldsweat drench him. -I just caused my demise.- He plopped down to the ground next to his master's feet.

"Your humble servant begs forgiveness! I did not know it was you, milord! Please forgive me Lord Sesshomaru! I was only looking after the girl, I didn't-"

"Silence, Jaken. That was enough." Sesshomaru said, annoyed.

"Yes, milord."

Rin took Sesshomaru's hand and pulled up the sleeves to check for his markings. They weren't as prominent, and looked more like healed scars.

"Lord Sesshomaru, are all your markings gone?" Rin questioned. Sesshomaru glanced at the girl. -As far as you will know…- She took his gesture as a yes. Then she remembered someone else.

"You were gone longer than you said you would be. I waited for you as you told me. Did you find Lady Nanami? Did you bring her back?"

"Not tonight, Rin. Maybe I will tell you tomorrow." Sesshomaru avoided the conversation and closed his eyes. Rin nodded and snuggled closer against his chest. Sesshomaru put his right arm over her small back and took a deep breath, her presence making him feel at peace.

Jaken looked at Sesshomaru through half-closed eyes. -Where is that wench? What in all hells did my lord do to himself?- Jaken pondered Sesshomaru's disappearance most of the night, curiosity burning through him and hardly allowing any sleep.

The night was warm and pleasantly still. Nanami took off her clothes and quietly got into the hot spring deeper in the forest, joining Sango.

"Oh... What happened to your arm?" She asked, frowning at Nanami's bandaged arm. Nanami just looked at her and whispered "Battle."

"You mean Sesshomaru did this to you?!" Sango was outraged. Nanami glared at her, not pleased with Sango seeing through her lie.

"Was it true about what the witch said? That he lost control of himself? Did you really have a fiancé?"

"It happened once already. When he ..'killed' me... And again at the docks." Nanami muttered quietly. There was no use keeping quiet about it. Nothing would change if she knew the truth. Might as well get over with it now. Nanami quickly recalled what happened when Sesshomaru took her to the docks after Vlad tried to claim what he wanted and then she explained how Tsuneo got a hold of her and stole her ring. She told them everything that happened up to the point when she saw them a few hours ago. Even about her dream.

Sango looked awestruck at her story, but couldn't understand why Nanami would not say anything about their past. The fact that the two knew each when they were kids was the only thing Sango was aware of. -I feel so sorry for her... she cares for a man who is incapable of feeling anything but anger. Yet... his behavior makes no sense either. But then again, this is Sesshomaru she is talking about. He's not the type to explain anything he does... I wonder how many women he left ruined like this?-

"Why don't you tell me what all of you have been doing for the past five months?" Nanami changed the topic, uneasy seeing her in deep thought. Sango looked up and smiled weakly.

"Well, seeing as that Tsuneo disappeared and there were rarely any demon outbursts, Miroku and I decided to tie the knot."

-Oh… that's good news?- Nanami was shocked, but did not want to be rude, so she smiled faintly.

"Congratulations." She said sincerely. Underneath Nanami's smile, her jaw dropped to the bottom of the spring. -Oh... my God... Sango... that can't be true. How could you have come to that decision?-

Sango felt uncomfortable talking about her love life when Nanami had just had her heart crushed by a man that didn't even care about her... apparently.

"But… I think that's a story for another time." Sango smiled nervously, seeing that Nanami was uneasy talking about this as well. After a few awkward moments, Sango finally broke the silence.

"So does Tsuneo have your power now?"

"No. Just part of my weapon. And he would not be able to use it anyway. He has to have my sword as well. So that whole stunt was pointless for him. I can still kill him without fire." Nanami answered, unwrapping the bandage on her arm.

Sango reached for her medicine pouch and treated Nanami's claw shaped wound. -Did he really mean it? Was everything he said true, or did his pride take over and stop him from seeing what he had done?-

"It's a shame actually." Sango said outloud. Nanami glanced at the demonslayer, and even though she tried to be more cheerful now, her eyes were still miserable.

"I thought he had feelings for you. I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry, Nanami... but I think Sesshomaru has space for only one person in his heart. And that's Rin. He can only manage feeling like a father to her."

Nanami wanted to say something denying her sadness about his feelings, or lack there of, but she knew she would just be lying to herself.

"Then I would rather it be Rin than me. "Nanami whispered quietly, looking down at the water.

The next morning, Sesshomaru woke up to the sound of Jaken hyperventilating. He frowned and looked at the imp. The toad demon looked at his master with terror on his face.

"Please don't hurt me, Milord! Rin got up to go do her business and ran away! I didn't follow her because she said she was going to pee! I didn't want to see that! Then she didn't come back!" Jaken blurted out in a hysterical voice. Sesshomaru growled, irritated by his servant. He bolted upright and tried to catch Rin's scent. He followed it back the way he came from yesterday. -Damn.- He slowed to a walk and avoided being noticed by anyone. He finally found where Rin's scent ended. He stopped on top of a hill overlooking the coast. Sesshomaru stood behind a tall oak tree and looked down to the beach. The waves roared and crashed onto the wet sand. The sky was dark gray, indicating approaching rain, and lots of it. He saw Nanami kneeling on the shore, with Rin's small hands in hers. From where he was, Sesshomaru could faintly make out what they were saying.

"Why didn't Lord Sesshomaru want to talk about you? Why didn't you come with him? Did you have a fight?" Rin asked in a curious voice. Nanami looked into her chocolate eyes, not wanting to upset her more with what happened.

"We just had to settle our differences."

"Why won't you tell me what's going on? I don't want him to leave again. Can't you stay here so he doesn't have to?"

"No… I cannot…"

"Do you not like Lord Sesshomaru? Did he hurt your arm?" Rin gently touched the bandage. Nanami wasn't about to tell the child about Sesshomaru's clawing incident and ruin her only safe haven.

"No, no, it was another demon back home. That's all…We… We don't get along. We're not friends, Rin, we're enemies. It won't be safe if I were to linger anywhere near you." Nanami explained. Sesshomaru glanced down at the ground, he didn't want to get Rin involved in this. Then he cringed at the familiar scent of the half-breed approaching Nanami.

"Stop lying to her, Nanami." Inuyasha's voice cut into the conversation. Nanami turned and awarded him with something typical of Sesshomaru's glare.

"They wouldn't talk about what happened because they had a huge fight lasting two hundred years, kid. And no, she doesn't like him considering they tried to kill each other over and over again, and Nanami has-well, had a fiancé that Sesshomaru got rid of. So you better leave and go back to your pompous lord before he shows up here and Nanami rips him to shreds." Inuyasha threatened. Nanami stood up and stared at Inuyasha.

"Why did you do that, you moron? Why did you have to go and ruin her relationship with him? She doesn't need to be part of this, and neither do any of you." Nanami growled in a hushed tone so Rin would not hear her.

"Quit covering for that pompous ass. You make it seem as if he had done absolutely nothing. Stop holding all your feelings in, stop trying to make everyone not as bad as they are. You know he is a bloodthirsty beast, why are you covering for him?"

"You idiot, do you even use that thing on your shoulders? Think about the girl! He's the only one she has, and now you're trying to turn her against him. I am plenty enough of an enemy for him. Don't ruin it for her." Nanami turned her head slightly toward the hill, feeling as if someone was watching them. Then she glared at Inuyasha.

"So instead you lie to her and leave her confused? She's seen more than any child should, she is perfectly capable of handling the truth." Inuyasha grunted.

Nanami had no reply and turned to Rin, brushing her fingers through her hair.

"Rin, go back to Sesshomaru. Don't make him come down here. Do it for me, alright?" Nanami asked and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Rin nodded, then stared at Inuyasha with frightened eyes before she ran uphill into the forest.

"Cretin." Nanami snarled at Inuyasha and walked away. Inuyasha made a scrunched face and mimicked Nanami "Cretin... do you ever use that thing on your shoulders? feh."

Sesshomaru waited for Rin, who stopped in front of him as soon as she saw him. He looked at her confused expression to see what she would do. Then he sighed.

"Rin... you may go with her if you want, or stay with me. It is your decision." He recalled saying a similar thing to her almost a year ago when he rescued her from eternal death. Rin looked back at Nanami, then at Sesshomaru. She smiled a toothy grin.

"It's not at all like that. I just wanted to ask her not to leave again so you would stay here with me." She walked up to him and took his hand, her fingers barely long enough to wrap around his. "Bye, Nanami..." She whispered, looking behind her.


	6. Condemn Me

Three Months Later

The late November skies brought blankets of snow down onto the landscape. The air was frigid and the wind only intensified the cold weather. The sea was bitter and dark, with no ship or boat in sight for miles. The trees were like skeletons, covered in a white layer of snow. The land was cold, but peaceful. There were no wrecked villages, no gruesome murders, or serious crimes in the area. Nanami seldom stayed with Inuyasha and his gang, and mostly spent her time alone in the forest. Twice she had visited her old mansion during the warm months, to get her clothing, or take shelter from a storm. Now that winter was setting in, the mansion once again served as her home. She visited Sango and Miroku once in a while. They seemed to be very happy, and that was all that mattered. Life was starting to get back to normal. There were no fights, no arguments, no chases. Rin stumbled upon Nanami once in a while, never followed by her silver haired guardian. Nanami refused to talk to Rin about him. Rin understood well enough not to broach the subject, for fear of pushing her away and causing Sesshomaru to chase after her again.

A snow storm was approaching; the skies had darkened and stayed that way since the previous evening. Nanami walked out of a dense patch of forest in the highlands, wearing warm, double layered umber pants, leather boots that reached up to her knees with a white fur trim, a beige, loose shirt under a tanned leather jerkin. Above that, she wore a long coat made from hide lined with white and gray fur on the inside. Her hair was braided into two relaxed, fish-tail braids under the large fur hood. She was returning from her hunt, pulling a male boar behind her to a small village across the rocky meadow. Two burly guards lowered their spears and let Nanami pass through. She carried the dead beast to a small hut in the middle of the town. She walked in and dragged the animal inside with her. There were three women in the hut, cooking. The village was that of the people that managed to escape from the raiding army eight months ago, the night Inuyasha found her. Now she occasionally brought the town food and supplies and helped them get settled back with their families again. They were surprised to see her at first, especially considering she doesn't really look nor act like the average Japanese woman. She always used to wear a face mask and conceal her hair, claiming her face was badly burnt, and the villagers stuck with that story. Once she returned, they mistook her for a demon, but she convinced them otherwise. She was simply from a different nation. Nanami spent most of her time here, in the little village and taught the boys to hunt when their fathers were busy and treated the sick and wounded.

The women thanked Nanami and asked her if she was hungry or cold. Nanami shook her head and just asked for a cup of hot tea. After she drank all of the tea, she talked with the women and warmed herself up for a while. Then she asked if the villagers needed anything, and when they shook their heads, she said goodbye and left.

Nanami pulled the coat tighter around herself when she was greeted by a harsh wind shooting snowflakes outside. She pulled the hood lower on her face, covering her eyes, and kept her gaze on the ground, glancing up once in a while to make sure she was going the right way. She passed the guards again and made her way across the meadow. The wind blew relentlessly and it kept snowing harder, making Nanami wrap her arms around herself. She crossed the whole meadow and finally looked up, barely seeing anything through the fur of her hood covering her eyes. What she did see, she preferred she never did. Sesshomaru was leaning against one of the trees, his arms crossed over his chest, his hair still shorter, but no longer black. He was wearing a warmer, black and white winter kimono, armor on top and his fur pelt draped over his right shoulder. Nanami was speechless and glared in disbelief at the demon. His golden eyes seemed to try and look under the hood that was covering her face down to the bridge of her nose. Her skin was iridescent with melting snowflakes, and the cold outside turned the apples of her cheeks and the tip of her nose rosy.

"I told you to never come near me again." She stated coldly.

Rin walked out from behind Sesshomaru, wrapped in a thick red kimono and jacket.

"What do you want from me?" Nanami kept her focus on the demon.

"Nothing. We merely cross paths." Sesshomaru kept glaring at Nanami.

"Have your senses taken leave of you? You don't cross paths unless you mean to." She rumbled, adjusting her hood.

"Do you hate each other so much?" Rin asked, confused and innocent.

"How can I not?" Nanami hissed. Her heart seemed to squeeze every time she breathed while he seemed to be unable to keep his eyes off of her, like a predator sizing up his pray.

"You were the one that made me live a lie for two centuries, the one that killed me, the one that killed everyone around me. How is that fulfilling your father's oath?" Nanami growled, the wind howling between them. Sesshomaru did not have a reply.

"If you're dead, no one can get your power." He finally muttered, taking Nanami aback.

"I think the only one I need protection from is you." She hissed at him, itching to unleash her wrath.

"How unfortunate that my father didn't think so."

"Yes, well, I'm sure he didn't expect his son to turn into a pompous, dishonorable tramp."

Sesshomaru uncrossed his arms and took a threatening step toward Nanami. She stood her ground and kept her eyes focused on him.

"Lord Sesshomaru..." Rin said in a pleading voice. But both Nanami and Sesshomaru ignored her.

"Go on... Kill me. You can do it... You're a demon, remember?" Nanami mocked him. Sesshomaru grabbed her by her throat at an incredible speed. Nanami tried to make it look as if she wasn't fazed at all, until he tightened his grip.

"Do not tempt me. I would prefer killing you when Rin isn't here. And believe me... I will." Sesshomaru growled at the woman.

"Rin, leave." Nanami said as loud as she could, despite the strong grip around her neck, and continued staring daggers at Sesshomaru. Rin looked at Nanami in confusion.

"Go on, Rin. We need to have a mature conversation alone." Nanami reassured the girl. Rin glanced at Sesshomaru, who seemed to be confused by Nanami's reaction as well, and reluctantly left back the way she came from.

"Go on then, kill me. She's not here." Nanami choked out, calling his bluff. Or so she hoped. Sesshomaru stared at the woman, surprised by her willingness to die. -What are you doing, Nanami?- Yet he tightened his grip around her neck, making her grab his arm and let out a pained gasp. He pulled down her hood with his other hand and kept looking at her coldly, as if he wanted her to suffer.

"Any last words?" He snarled, starting to lift her up off the ground slowly. To his shock, she only seemed to push her neck closer into his grip.

"You're not him." She hardly managed. She was short of breath, on the verge of blacking out, and his cruel expression evoked a burning pain in her chest. Sesshomaru grit his teeth and scowled.

"You're not mine..." Nanami mouthed again, holding onto his arm tightly. -You're not my Sesshomaru... You're a stonecold killer... You never meant anything you ever said to me.- Sesshomaru's expression changed to one of disbelief. But Nanami passed out before he could say anything. Sesshomaru loosened his hold of her and caught her body in his arms. He stared at her, stunned by her words, not knowing what to do with the unconscious woman. He carried her into the forest, where there was much less wind and snow, and placed her against the roots of a large tree. He kneeled in front of her and looked at her. _-_ Nanami... I can't do this anymore. This has to end somehow. Enough quarrying. No more lies.- Sesshomaru's eyes surveyed her face. She was not the same girl he once knew. She grew more and more beautiful, more and more apprehensive. Sesshomaru furrowed his brows and sighed heavily. -What the hell am I doing?- He watched the snowflakes fall on Nanami's golden braids and long obsidian eyelashes. Her cheeks were still pink and she remained unconscious for a long while.

Sesshomaru remained next to her and started to fret about Rin. -Where did she go? Is she lost?- He was starting to consider the idea of leaving Nanami where she was and going out to search for Rin. The snowfall got heavier by the minute, even the woods were being bombarded by it now. Sesshomaru growled in frustration and picked Nanami up in his arms. He pulled the hood over her head and let it rest against his shoulder. Just having her this close to him made Sesshomaru get an uneasy, anxious feeling in his stomach. -She will try to kill me when she wakes up...- As much as he wanted her to come to, he also dreaded for the fury and harsh words that were guaranteed to follow. The warmth of her body and her subtle, captivating scent rushed Sesshomaru's heartbeat, and he began to feel a feverish tickle across his skin. Sesshomaru tensed his jaw and turned his focus completely to finding Rin, doing his best to ignore the woman in his arms. He could barely track Rin's scent with the wind. After about half an hour, Sesshomaru thought he heard Rin's voice a few feet away and turned toward the sound, after which he felt Nanami shuffle a bit and a fist hit his chest. He winced and glared down at Nanami, obscured by the fur pelt.

"Put me down..." She hissed, and even though he couldn't see her eyes, Sesshomaru could feel her icy glare through the hood. He scowled and set her down on the ground. Nanami backed away immediately and stared at him in fear. -You really were going to kill me, weren't you?- Nanami rubbed her neck with her hand. Then she bolted past him, running as fast as she could. Sesshomaru frowned in annoyance and looked in the direction where Nanami was running.

Rin stood still next to Shippo, wrapping the kimono jacket tighter around her. Sango was wrapped in a thick winter cloak. Inuyasha was still wearing his usual red kimono with the addition of shoes.

"What do you think they're doing?" Sango asked Inuyasha, who just jumped down from the tree branch he was lounging on.

"Arguing. Fighting. Threatening to kill each other. Then arguing some more." Inuyasha stretched and brushed the snow off of his body. Sango glanced at Rin, then back at Inuyasha.

"As silly as that sounds, I'm afraid that's true. I just fear they might hurt each other." Miroku muttered, pulling the hood of his warmed cloak over his head. "It's been more than an hour."

Out of nowhere, a woman in beige flashed past them, followed by a silver haired demon. Inuyasha cocked his eyebrow at the sight. "What the hell?!" He yelped. Miroku just looked in their direction and frowned.

"I would expect arguing, but chasing each other?" Sango furrowed her brow as she watched their silhouettes disappear.

Nanami kept running as fast as she could through the snow, which just made it much more difficult. -Why is he following me?- She looked behind her and saw Sesshomaru chasing her without any difficulty through the snow. She let out a low growl and tried to pick up speed. Apparently Sesshomaru got tired of running so he leapt into the air and landed right in front of Nanami, making her skid to a stop. She scowled and balled up her fists. -Doesn't this bring back memories.- Nanami thought bitterly. Sesshomaru stood up straight and glared as Nanami tried to catch her breath.

"You really think you can outrun me?" He asked calmly.

"Worth a try." Nanami snapped back and sprinted off. Sesshomaru growled and grabbed her arm, pulling her back and forcing her to stand in front of him.

"Stop running!" He commanded. Nanami tried to wrestle her arm out of his grasp, but he just held her in place.

"Damn you, Inuyasha. Can you, for once, resist the impulse to show up where you're not needed?" Sesshomaru barked at his half-brother.

"Shut up and let the girl go!" Inuyasha snarled in reply as he ran downhill to his brother. Sesshomaru just pulled Nanami closer. She looked at him strangely and still tried to pull her arm away. Little shippo let go of Rin's hand and let her walk toward Nanami and Sesshomaru.

"Leave us." Sesshomaru threatened Inuyasha as soon as Rin got behind him.

"Like hell we will! You think I'll let you kill her?" Inuyasha replied harshly.

"I would sooner kill you than her."

Nanami stopped trying to unhinge his fingers and looked at him. -He never was going to kill me?... Or is he lying again?-

"We all know that. Yet you already killed her once. How do we know you won't repeat that little incident?" Inuyasha taunted.

"If you do not leave now, I'll repeat that 'little incident' on you and your band of misfits." Sesshomaru threatened.

"Hey, what did I do?" Shippo protested.

"You wouldn't dare touch them." Inuyasha defended his friends, drawing his sword.

"If you don't get lost in the next minute, I'll kill all of you."

"Dammit, Inuyasha, just get out of here! You've got no part in this and I sure as hell don't need your snippets of lackwitted 'wisdom'." Nanami growled, irritated by the barking between the two brothers.

Inuyasha glared at Nanami, offended.

"Go." She said sternly. Sango walked up to Inuyasha and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, Inuyasha. Let's go. The storm is getting worse, we have to go. She'll be fine. He won't hurt her."

"You don't know that."

"Trust me. I do. He won't harm her, but he will hurt us. I'm leaving." Sango said quietly and shot one last glance at Nanami before walking away. Inuyasha let out a frustrated grunt.

"Fine. But you're not fooling me. And don't be expecting my help when this lunatic snaps again." He said and made his way back to his companions. Nanami turned toward Sesshomaru and stared at him with angry eyes.

"Did you talk things through, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin said nervously.

"No, Rin." Sesshomaru said, looking down at her.

"Rin, why don't you go and stand under that tree while we finish our little 'talk', alright?" Nanami said calmly, and Rin reluctantly nodded and left, again.

Sesshomaru finally let go of Nanami's arm, hoping she won't run again.

"What shall we do about our little problem?" Nanami said, for once not glaring at Sesshomaru like he was an abomination. He remained silent. Neither one was willing to swallow their pride.

"Why did you come here and run after me?"

"Because this needs to end now."

"This? And what would this be? What is there to end? I leave and we don't 'cross paths' again. There is no other option."

"What if I cross paths with you, Nanami?" Rin called from a nearby tree. Nanami's eyes switched from Rin to Sesshomaru.

"Unfortunately she seems to have taken a liking to you." Sesshomaru talked to Nanami calmly, but coldly. As if he could not wait until she left, and he did a good job of letting her know.

"As long as she is without you…"

"Fine."

"Alright." Nanami felt abused and frustrated, not to mention the awkwardness of the situation. The orphan hardly knew Nanami, and yet took for a friend, if not a guardian. Sesshomaru had caused Nanami so much pain, so much sorrow, yet he acted as if she had wronged him. Nanami turned and began to walk away, still feeling his eyes linger on her. She felt an empty feeling as she walked away, toward the storm, but being stubborn and proud, she hid it and denied it in her mind. Rin ran down hill into the meadow clumsily and skidded to a stop next to Nanami.

"Wait, Nanami! Where are you leaving?" Her breath fluttered in the cold air. The woman kneeled down to the girl's level, her hands pulling the girl's jacket tighter around her.

"Rin… I cannot stay any longer. Please understand... I have to travel a long way and the storm is worsening."

"I'm sorry you and Lord Sesshomaru don't get along. But… I like you and I hope you don't run from me if you see me-" The little girl muttered.

"Rin, that's enough. Let's go." Sesshomaru cut her off nervously, anticipating what she wanted to say. "You'll catch a cold." He added and turned in the other direction, walking away.

Rin wrapped her arms around Nanami, he fingers clutching the furry hood, surprising her. Nanami turned toward Sesshomaru again, watching him walk away.

"I won't, Rin. I will be a friend whenever you see me. But you have to go now." The woman pulled away, brushing snowflakes from Rin's cheek.

"Thank you… I would like a friend…" The girl said cheerfully, though her words carried an underlying message.

Sesshomaru stopped walking and looked back out of the corner of his eye, upset by Rin's downplayed sadness. -That is enough... That woman is ruining everything.- Sesshomaru walked over to Nanami, who eyed him with anger. He held Nanami's fierce gaze for a moment, imprinting an image of her into his mind. Then for a second, his eyes changed from cold to sad as he realized that this was really happening. He looked down at the ground, turned and walked away. Rin followed in his footsteps, catching up and wrapping her fingers around his hand.

"Goodbye..." Nanami muttered, maintaining her stone cold facade. Sesshomaru's steps slowed for a brief moment, as if he was thinking of stopping and turning, but he reconsidered.

Nanami turned and made her way back into the forest, hating the overwhelming sadness she felt deep down inside. Instead, she aimed to focus on her rage and to finding her way home. But the snow covered forest reminded her of her childhood. She remembered playing hide and seek with Sesshomaru while the rain battered the castle, his mother huffing, his father laughing; she used to watch him train with his father until his mother would shove her into the kitchen to scrub floors; she braided his hair once and painted his face so they could scare his mother, which they did, and Nanami would never forget the screech she let out when she saw her son with braids and black paint over his face; they used to stargaze at night with Sesshomaru's father, listening to the tales and ancient legends he would tell. But all that had changed after that Autumn festival. Sesshomaru changed. He became the cold creature he is now. -Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't things stay the way they were? Why is it that everything I touch ends in ruin?- Nanami pushed aside the mere thought of tears. She wouldn't cry. She couldn't. - Why is he so difficult? I thought he came back for me… to right all the wrongs… Apparently not. He came to stop that black eyed monster. He came for my power. How could I ever even think that there was something in his heart? He was just toying with me all this time.- Nanami closed her eyes and stopped walking. She breathed deeply, refusing to allow those tears to make their presence. -What am I doing? Why did it have to be him? I should have seen this coming, then maybe I wouldn't have angered Vlad. He would still be alive and I would live a normal life... What am I saying? I hated him! I would be miserably stuck in a dreaded marriage...- Nanami felt as if she was insane. She put her palms on her forehead. -I wish I had the courage to show you what you've done to me, Sesshomaru. I wish you could see what you're doing to me. You're the one that let me into your life, your fate, then turned back around and betrayed me... and you feel no remorse or guilt for what you have done at all, do you? Am I honestly so worthless in your eyes? ... You're not mine... You never were... You never will be... And maybe that's for the best...- Nanami rubbed her temples and took a deep breath, looking up at the dark gray sky. -Doesn't matter any longer. Don't let your pain be his triumph.-

Sesshomaru walked through the forest up higher into the mountains, an uncomfortable silence between him and Rin. He could sense her curiosity but she was reluctant to speak a word about it. Sesshomaru felt as if he was trying to unravel a problem with no solution to it. He kept frowning and stared off into nowhere. Rin noticed it too, but did not dare breathe a word. Sesshomaru was so withdrawn into himself that he failed to notice Inuyasha dropping from the air right behind him.

"You know, you really are a heartless son of a bitch." Inuyasha crossed his arms and wasn't ashamed of using harsh words in front of the little girl."Who would have thought that you could ever change from your egotistic self? Much less become worse than you were? At least you used to be more or less predictable…"

Sesshomaru ignored his half-brother, refusing to acknowledge his words.

"Fine… What the hell happened back there? Where'd the girl go?" Inuyasha declared.

"When will you learn to stay out of others' matters? I couldn't care less about her."

"You should seriously consider shoving that pride of yours up your ass, you know that? You're not fooling any of us. She's the chink in your armor."

Sesshomaru snarled threateningly and balled up his fists. "Get lost, half-breed."

"I think you're the one that's lost. You're acting insane. Look what you did to yourself just so you could try and bring her back to Japan, and don't say that you did it to stop Nar- Tsuneo- whoever the hell he is, because that would be no reason for why you would go to such lengths to disguise yourself. She wouldn't get under you skin simply because of what power she holds. I'm not as stupid as you think, Sesshomaru. And I'm not as weak. At least I don't deny what I feel and I stick to what I set out to do. I own up to the desperate actions I must take to protect the ones I must. A little weakness, a little warmth in your heart, and you shut down, you consider yourself too high and mighty for anyone. Sango was right... There's not enough room in your heart for someone who gave you hers completely."

"Enough. Don't bother lecturing me about what to do with my life. Leave before I do lose all inhibition and kill you and your whole gang." Sesshomaru closed in on Inuyasha dangerously.

"Whatever you say, pompous ass. Maybe you'll finally realize what you just did to the girl, who from now on, will be your worst nightmare, your most dangerous enemy." Inuyasha barked at his brother and made his way back to his own group.

Sesshomaru grit his teeth, his brother's words echoing in his mind. -Insolent whelp. What would he know about all this? He's never dealt with anyone like Nanami... Just that irritating, helpless priestess...- Sesshomaru felt turmoiled, not knowing what he should do. Never had he experienced so much uncertainty as with Nanami. His thoughts turned to the bloody night at the northern port, to Nanami's horror and distraught eyes as she watching him unleash his wrath. Sesshomaru muttered indiscernibly under his breath and picked up Rin. He held on to her as he ran as fast as he could toward the house far up in the mountains where he would come to rest or seek shelter from storms and foul weather. It was not too large, certainly no mansion, but it stood on top of the mountain, surrounded by tall trees and shrubs, with a frozen pond behind it. He jumped the stairs leading to the front door and opened it. A dim light was glowing in a room down a narrow hallway. Sesshomaru set down Rin in the large parlor.

"Stay here Rin. If you need anything, tell Jaken." Sesshomaru closed the door and rushed back to the meadow where he last saw Nanami. Once there, he followed her tracks into the other side of the forest until they led them to the field in front of a small human village. Nanami was simply standing in the middle of it, barely visible through the falling snow, and staring at the hamlet. It was starting to get dark, and the village lit up with hundreds of lanterns and candles. Sesshomaru swallowed his pride, at least enough to let him approach the young woman, not believing what he was about to do as he made his way across the field. As he got closer, his pulse quickened and he had a gut instinct that she would explode in rage as soon as she saw him.

Nanami listened to the wind howl, her eyes closed, trying to decide where to go to wait out the storm. She wanted to be alone, so she decided to make her way back to her isolated dwelling, far away as it was. The gnawing feeling of being watched overtook her, yet she heard no one around. She turned her head slightly to look around and behind her, despising what she saw. She turned back around, away from Sesshomaru. Neither spoke for a few moments, then Nanami broke the silence.

"Why can you not just stay away?" She asked, exasperated.

"If I knew, I would have told you already." Sesshomaru retorted honestly.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Nanami turned, frustrated. "Can you make up your mind? You say one thing, then do another... Just tell me what you want and get out of here."

Sesshomaru looked at her eyes. They were red and watery. -She was crying...-

"Say something! Don't just stand there!" Nanami growled, trying to hide her impulse to hit him as hard as she could. But he seemed to be at a loss for words. Nanami shut her eyes and turned away once more. Opening her eyes, she whirled around, tackling him to the ground. She sat on his stomach and pummeled his face.

"Since words seem to have no effect on you-!" She hissed. Sesshomaru flipped Nanami over and held her down by her wrists. There was a bit of blood at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't make this harder than it already is. Just... come with me." Sesshomaru barely forced the phrase out of his mouth. Nanami was awestruck.

"What?!" She said outraged. "Come with you?! Why in the world would I do that after all this?!" She struggled to get out of his grasp, but Sesshomaru held her down and refused to let go.

"Come with me."

"No! I'd rather freeze out here than-" Nanami protested, but was cut short when Sesshomaru stood up and pulled her up with him. He pulled her so close to him that she could feel the whisper of his breathing and feel the warmth coming off of his body. Nanami felt a blush creep up to the apples of her cheeks. Her eyes couldn't look away.

"Why are you here? You claim you couldn't care less about me. Then go. No one will be able to get me, so you can drop the act." She whispered ascetically.

"Not an act." Sesshomaru murmured, secretly taking in her familiar scent, memories flooding him.

"Then what is all this?"

"The truth."

"Truth? Seems a little too confusing to be truth. Make up your damn mind."

"Nothing is simple when it comes to you." Sesshomaru regained control of himself, making himself seem as cold as usual.

"If it was, you would not have been here. What do you want?"

"Just for you to wait out the storm with Rin." Sesshomaru said indifferently.

"When will you stop using her as an excuse for everything?" Nanami snarled at him, sick of him hiding everything. "Pardon my being blunt, but cut the shit. After 200 years, the least you could do is be honest with me."

"Fine. I do not want you out here alone." Sesshomaru said through grit teeth. Nanami frowned.

"And do tell, since when do you have a conscience?" Nanami teased him by leaning in very close to his face, close enough for Sesshomaru to feel the breath from her words on his lips, then she pulled back and tried to yank her arms out of his hands. Sesshomaru felt as if a shiver-like feeling ran through him, but he remained unaffected and held her captive.

"Since you finally opened your eyes." He spat out. Nanami's anger simmered and she granted him an affronted glare.

"Too bad you still haven't opened yours." She said through grit teeth. She hesitated for a moment, then summoned up the courage to go against her stoic habits to open up a bit more. "At least you would truly see what you're doing to me."

Sesshomaru felt as if someone dumped a bucket of ice on him. He did not know what to say without hurting her even further, so he changed the topic.

"Want to or not, I am not leaving without you."

"Let go of me." Nanami said quietly. She knew she had no choice but to go, but she was not giving in without a fight.

"Decide. Either you comply like a civilized person, or I'll have to drag you along myself."

"Neither. I refuse to go with you."

"Then where will you go? The storm is getting worse by the minute. To your father's mansion? You'll reach it by nightfall tomorrow. Do explain how you will accomplish that task in this weather."

"You do not understand this, do you? Why would I go somewhere unknown to me with the man that tormented me for two centuries, killed my fiancé-"

"Did you really care that much about a man who disrespected you and saw you as his property?" Sesshomaru interrupted, irritated by Nanami's mention of the man.

"Why should you have a care? As if you are any different. You do not respect much else than yourself."

"If I did not care, I would not have come here, I would not have said anything. " Sesshomaru could hardly believe himself. "We both know I'm very adept at not caring, but not so much the opposite."

"So what do you want me to do? Thank you?" She mocked.

"I want you to stop arguing and come with me."

"And I want you to let go of me."

"That depends. If you try and run, I'll catch you. And if that does happen, you will reach our destination unconscious." Sesshomaru warned, still holding her wrists. Nanami certainly did not want to pass out again, so she swallowed her pride, cursed under her breath and let out a really choppy, angry "Fine." Sesshomaru looked at her, surprised that she didn't start protesting again. Yet as soon as he thought it...

"The moment one ray of sunshine pierces those clouds... I leave. Without a word, without a trace. And you do not follow me. Not even if all hell broke loose on this land, understood?" She threatened.

"Stop your commanding around. I will do what I see fit."

"So my opinion does not matter?"

"Did I say that?"

"You implied it."

"We have to leave now." Sesshomaru slowly let go of Nanami's wrists and walked backwards, still looking at her, feeling as if this was all a bad dream. Nanami considered taking her chances and darting out to the forest, then she reluctantly walked up to Sesshomaru.

"I will never forgive you. No matter how hard you try to redeem yourself." Nanami said in a gloomy tone and pulled the hood lower over her face and crossed her arms, pressing them closer to her body for warmth.

Sesshomaru felt uncomfortable with her remark, and started walking toward the mountain.

The whole trip neither Sesshomaru nor Nanami had said a word. All they could hear were the howling wind and the snow crunching under their feet. The snow kept falling faster and heavier, threatening to bury the land in thick layers. The frigid wind chilled Nanami to the bones. She began walking faster and closed in on Sesshomaru without realizing it. He heard her shivering behind him.

"It's just past those trees." He said quietly and reached for the fur pelt on his shoulder, but Nanami quickly passed him, before he could even take it off. Sesshomaru continued walking behind her. Nanami finally made it past the trees and stopped in front of the house. It was beautiful and modest. It stood in a perfect location, on the side of the mountain near the peak, creating a magnificent view no doubt, if it wasn't for the wall of blowing snow that blocked visibility past ten feet. Sesshomaru walked up the stairs to the front entrance and opened it, waiting for Nanami to come in. She hesitated but stepped in nonetheless. Sesshomaru closed the door and focused his eyes on Nanami, who pulled down her hood and headed toward the coat rack in the genkan. She glanced at Sesshomaru as if asking permission to take off her outerwear. It was his house, and as angry as she was with him, she was not going to abandon her manners. Sesshomaru took off his boots, left them on the stone floor, took off his armor and pelt and hung it on the rack, all while keeping his eyes on the woman.

"You have no need to ask." He muttered and walked into the main room. Nanami slipped off her coat, hung it next to his clothes and took off her boots. She followed him into the room, brushing stray snowflakes from her hair. Sesshomaru added more firewood to the pit in the middle of the room and looked up at Nanami. She glanced around the large room. It was dimly lit by white candles and was decorated by paintings and tapestries of various scenery. There was a dark tea table on the floor behind the fire pit with four ornate mats on the floor to each side. One wall was completely lined with bamboo shelves teeming with scrolls and books. Fur throws were settled around the fire pit, and a metal tea pot hung over the fire. A rice paper lantern stood on the floor a few feet away from the fire pit, close to the screen door that led to the hallway. Nanami sat down on one of the fur throws and put her hands up to the fire, warming herself.

Sesshomaru caught himself admiring the young woman as the glow of the flame bathed her skin and glinted off her golden hair. Her features were very proportionate and foreign: her eyes were a near perfect oval, with upturned outer corners and long, curled lashes, her nose narrow and straight, her lips formed a defined and balanced cupid's bow, her jaw was more oval and yet more angled in profile than that of a native Japanese woman. She was different; Sesshomaru's eyes inspected her every attribute as he hadn't before, unable to look away. Her pale skin still retained the pink glow from the storm's bite. Sesshomaru forced himself to stop studying her, fearing she would notice. He took a deep breath as Inuyasha's words repeated in his mind. - "A little weakness, a little warmth in your heart, and you shut down, you consider yourself too high and mighty for anyone. ...There's not enough room in your heart for someone who gave you hers completely..."- Sesshomaru stood up and left the main room. He walked down to the end of the hallway and slightly opened the screen door to Rin's room. The little girl was wrapped snuggly in a thick blanket, breathing deeply. Sesshomaru closed the door and leaned against the wall opposite from it, trying to listen to the woman in the adjacent room. He tensed his hands and closed his eyes. - How can this be happening? She is driving me insane. Even if she isn't saying anything or doing anything. What the hell have I done? I destroyed any relation I had with her... She despises me. She will never forgive me.- Sesshomaru opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He walked to the other end of the hall to his room. He stepped in and closed the door. He took off his warm kimono and changed into a lighter one, letting it dry from the snow. Sesshomaru repressed the urge to break his own hands for being as cruel as he was to the young woman. -How honorable…- He thought, remembering telling Nanami he could not have cared less for her, believing she was better off dead in this world and that he was willing to do it. He felt foolish about how he went to so much trouble just to find her again, admitting that he would stop at nothing to do so, yet when he did find her and bring her back, he just left and completely shattered her. -Could not have been more honorable than that. Might as well have rubbed dirt in her face and handed her over to Tsuneo on a silver platter. I am fortunate she even speaks to me, much less agrees to be under the same roof.- Sesshomaru growled, furious with his behavior. Sesshomaru figured there was no going back, with the damage already done to Nanami. He looked around the room, making sure it was clean and comfortable enough for his guest. The walls were of a calm jade color with light wood paneling the walls. A beige carpet with black stitching lay under a white bed near the floor to ceiling screen doors leading to the gardens outside. Next to the bed was a small pot with a cherry blossom sprig in it. Rin planted it there in the spring, and it hasn't died yet. Sesshomaru walked over to the small black table and lit the lone candle, using it to light the fire in the firepit in the middle of the room. He closed the screen door to the wardrobe room and finally left the chamber. He walked down the hall and stopped at the entryway to the main room. Nanami was looking at the scrolls on the shelves and the paintings on the wall. A door creaked open behind Sesshomaru and a sleepy, green imp in a night gown creeped out. He rubbed his eyes when he noticed Sesshomaru and dropped to the floor, his sleeping cap flying off of his head.

"My Lord! You have returned! That storm out there is dreadful! And I have a feeling it will not let up for a few days!" He squeaked. Sesshomaru flinched from the high pitched tone of his servant and looked at a more pleasant sight in the main room.

"Oh, would you like some hot, jasmine tea milord?" Jaken offered, not hearing an answer. Nanami glanced at Sesshomaru, then returned to her browsing. Jaken wobbled into the room but stopped almost immediately.

"What is that disrespectful wench doing here?!" He screeched.

"Jaken!" Sesshomaru barked, making the imp cringe and shrink. " You will address her with the same respect as you address me." He said in a cold tone. Nanami stared at Sesshomaru in surprise as he silently sat down crosslegged in front of the hearth.

"Yes, milord." The imp mumbled obediently.

"Apologize."

"Wha-... yes, master... Forgive my harsh remark..." Jaken spat out, then hesitated for a moment. "Lady Nanami." He finally choked, his eye twitching. Nanami found Jaken's disgust toward her amusing. She smiled a weak, but coy smile, and turned away from him, surveying the tapestries on the wall. Jaken grumbled and boiled the water in the tea pot. Sesshomaru observed the woman, her curiosity drawing him in. Eventhough she had not said a word, Sesshomaru listened intently to her silence, remembering that she promised him that she will never forgive him. He surveilled her every step, her every movement, knowing this may be the last time she will be near him. He feared that after the storm, she will leave without a trace, as promised. Yet his mind kept forcing him to deny this fear and disregard the longing feeling taking root deep inside him.

Nanami knew Sesshomaru was watching her, but not with his usual, cold eyes. She glanced at him then turned back to her inquisitiveness. His eyes were pools of flickering amber lost in thought. Usually, Nanami would have been very uncomfortable and would have said something, but she didn't this time. -What is with him? Can he decide what he wants to do? Or should I expect him to be strangling me tomorrow?- She pondered. Nanami was sick of fighting, yet not willing to make peace.

Jaken felt less and less comfortable in the room with Sesshomaru and Nanami within simultaneously. He was even more disturbed with the way Sesshomaru was acting around the foreigner. -There were plenty of women that have fallen for my lord; a princess, a wind sorceress, that geisha fifty years back, and who knows how many demon girls that drooled over him, yet he had no interest, and even if he was with a woman sometime while I wasn't around, I doubt he acted like this. How is she any different? Why does she have such a strong effect on him and his actions?- Jaken repressed a sigh. -Ohhhh, I have a bad feeling about this.- He poured hot water into three tea cups and handed one to Sesshomaru, the other to Nanami and kept the last one for himself. Jaken drained the cup swiftly, ignoring the burn of the water he chugged.

"If you have no other need for me, milord, I shall retire to my bedchamber. " He said, swallowing his pain.

"As you wish." Sesshomaru said impassively. Jaken scrambled back into his room, shutting the door behind him. Sesshomaru took a sip of hot tea when Nanami turned toward him.

"Why the hospitality all of a sudden?" She said quietly. Sesshomaru glanced at her and looked into her stormy gray eyes. He did not want to reveal anything just yet and remained silent.

"It's always the same with you. Say one thing, do another." Nanami turned and took a sip of her tea. They spent a long while in quiet, with nothing but the crackle of the fire between them.

"Come." Sesshomaru murmured offhandedly and walked down the hall to his bedchamber. Nanami frowned and followed him, not knowing what to expect. She walked into the room from which the light was coming from. Sesshomaru had mixed up the cinders in the pit and gazed up at the entrance. Nanami looked at the room then at him with suspicious eyes.

"You may stay here if it suits you." Sesshomaru announced and left the room, closing the door behind him. Nanami just glared at the door and sat down on the bed. -What is he trying to do to me? Why is he acting so strange? ... these mind games are becoming quite the nuisance.- Nanami pondered before standing up and undressing. She kept her eye on the door, making sure no one, well, Sesshomaru, would come in. Although, she doubted he was the peeping type. She straightened her long beige tunic and crawled under the thick white blanket. Nanami turned to her side, facing the screen doors opening to the gardens, and fell asleep listening to the tempest of the wind outside and the splintering of the fire wood in the pit.

Sesshomaru knew sleep wouldn't come easy that night. He sharpened his sword, taking an unnecessarily long time, yet felt no closer to being able to rest. His mind raced in thousands of different directions. Frustrated, Sesshomaru braved the storm outside to make his way into the small bathhouse a small distance from the house. He welcomed the time it took for the bath water to heat up. -So much for the invincible son of the great dog demon… Afraid of his own feelings, acting like an adolescent girl who cannot make up her mind... I am not who I was before. I am weak...- Sesshomaru was shocked to hear his own criticisms. He had never been one to lack strength and confidence. It shocked him to admit any weakness. He may have been strong physically, but emotionally he was feeble. Steam filled the small bathhouse, but even the hot water did little to calm Sesshomaru's mind. His thoughts kept racing back to the night at the pier; the screams seemed louder, the blood hotter and the smell more potent in his memory. He had no care for the lives he took. He was bent on stopping Tsuneo, no matter the cost. Worst of all was the memory Nanami's horrified face as she balked away from him. In that moment, her expression and her eyes said it all - that fathomless hatred and fear was all that remained for him. He had never seen such a look of abhorrence and hostility, and knowing it was all because of him gnawed at Sesshomaru's sanity. That moment, with those eyes, she denied him a soul; she saw nothing but the blood, the death and the rage. Sesshomaru found himself rushing back into the house, not being able to stand another minute in the bathhouse, his thoughts materializing into images in the steam. He returned to the warm fire and forced himself to lay down and close his eyes. Maybe sleep would come if he pushed it on himself. But all he could think of was her. -Pride. That's all that ever controls me. My pride prevents me from acknowledging my... my thoughts, it makes me do the things I've done. And all that just twisted and ruined everything… crippled the lives of those around me. Especially Rin and Nanami... Her eyes… I can't stand to look at her eyes. Those condemning, merciless eyes… She sees me for who I truly am… She shows me who I truly am… but I can't bring myself to look away.-


	7. Forbidden

The next morning Nanami was woken by a loud, high pitched shriek that made her jolt upwards and let out a shocked scream as well. At the same time in the main room, Sesshomaru felt as if his ears were blown off. He growled loudly and sat up sharply, his eyes barely opened. The wake up call was so unexpected that when he bolted upright and rushed toward the scream, he stumbled over the fire pit he slept next to and stepped right onto the hot coal and cinders. Sesshomaru quickly jumped away, avoiding a burn, and snarled a curse under his breath. He rushed into the hallway and headed to where he now heard Rin franticly shouting and yelping. He stopped in the doorway to his bedroom and slumped.

Rin was bouncing up and down on the bed, her arms wrapped tightly around Nanami's neck, yelping happily, not a single word distinguishable from the ruckus. Nanami tried to make Rin stop bouncing like a hyper puppy as the little girl's elbows kept hitting her shoulders. Sesshomaru's eyes wandered off to Nanami's shapely legs and thighs, no longer obscured by the covers. His sight darted back to Rin, as if they never looked elsewhere. His ears were ringing from the child's happy screeching.

"Rin! Sto-o-op jump-ing! You're start-ing to hurt m-me!" Nanami stuttered as the little girl's shoulders kept hitting her chin and jaw. Finally, Rin calmed down and let go, out of breath.

"Sorry." She said cheerfully, tugging on the sleeves of her white night gown.

"Rin. Was all that screaming really necessary?" Sesshomaru closed eyes and furrowed his brow, his ears still ringing.

"I'm sorry Lord Sesshomaru, I'm just happy that Nanami is here! Does that mean that you aren't arguing anymore?"

"Hardly." Nanami answered sharply, before Sesshomaru even had the time to open his mouth to speak. Sesshomaru pretended to be completely unaffected and left back to the main room. The happiness on Rin's face died down a little.

"So you're still fighting with Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I would rather call it 'settling our differences'. Fighting sounds like this is a trivial argument." Nanami said as she stood up and walked over to her clothes, folded neatly next to the wardrobe room screen door. She noticed the door was completely open, and a beautiful golden kimono with pink and burgundy flowers and elegant leaves hung in plain sight. Nanami's lips parted and she frowned, glancing back at Rin. She was certain Sesshomaru closed the door last night, and what would be the chances he had lavish kimonos in his possession?

"Rin, does this belong to someone?" Nanami asked. Rin shook her head.

"It's yours now. My Lord brought it into the room at night. I don't know where he got it, but he did, and you should be grateful." Jaken's voice grumbled from the threshold. Nanami was surprised he didn't wake up earlier during Rin's screeching frenzy.

"I will be grateful when it's due..." Nanami said as she took the kimono off the rack. "Vengeful when needed... Loving when I want to be... and loyal when my trust is earned..." Nanami finished as she prepared to put the beautiful dress on. "Do not tell me what I should be and what I should feel. That is for me to decide and me only."

Jaken rolled his eyes, grumbled something quietly and dragged himself back to his room. -Spare me the theatrics…-

Sesshomaru had already started up a fire in the pit in the main room and was resting on one of the fur throws on the floor, shutting his eyes for a little. He was drifting in and out of sleep when soft footsteps and the faint swish of fabrics disturbed the silence in the hallway. Next he heard much faster, more frequent steps that ran down the hall. Rin popped into the room, a toothy, bright smile on her face. Nanami followed and gracefully entered in the golden kimono. Her hair was unbraided and draped over her shoulder, and she was barefoot.

"So... I presume this belongs to you?" Nanami said, leaning with her right shoulder against the doorframe, lifting up the skirt of the kimono a little to show what she was talking about. Rin giggled slightly and put her hands over her mouth.

Sesshomaru's brows lowered. -And so it begins…- He sat up with an exhale and looked at the woman.

"I take that as a thank you." He said cooly. Nanami shrugged and walked into the room. She had her arms crossed and looked at the narrow windows under the ceiling, covered to prevent the snow from getting into the house. There was a chair below one of them. Nanami walked over to it, lifted up the dress to her knees and stood up on the chair. Sesshomaru frowned and tilted his head slightly.

"What are you doing?"

Nanami propped herself up on her toes and pulled down the window cover, glancing out to see if it was still snowing. Her view was all but a white wall; the house was practically buried, and it still kept snowing. Nanami slumped in disappointment and shut the window again. She got back down to the floor and sat on the chair. Sesshomaru knew she was hoping the snow had stopped so she could flee, and he was thankful it hadn't, granting him a little more time to be with her.

"And to which one of your women has this dress belonged to, if not all of them?" Nanami asked, her mood fouled by the weather. Rin's eyebrows raised and she stared at her master.

"None. I brought it from the village nearby." He grumbled through grit teeth.

"Oh, so you killed some unfortunate noble woman to get it?"

"Why is it that you always assume that I kill to get what I want?"

"Well, there have been a few incidents in the past in which I do recall you resorting to violence and slaughter to get your way."

"Some things cannot be settled peacefully."

"Is this one of them?" Nanami crossed her arms, holding on to Sesshomaru's gaze.

"I do not intend on hurting you."

Nanami scoffed and looked away. "Oh, that's new…"

Sesshomaru felt something clench in his chest. He looked away at the cinders.

"I'm hungry, Lord Sesshomaru." Rin broke the uncomfortable silence in the room. Sesshomaru gladly used Rin's hunger as an excuse to get out of the house and avoid Nanami's silence or her chiding, not sure of which was more ruthless. He stood up and went to his room. He closed the door behind him and changed into his winter kimono, relieved to have a chance to think things through, and decide what to do with his hostile guest.

"Rin, ask Jaken to prepare something for you. I'll return in a few hours." He said when he returned to the room after he changed. He put his boots on, grabbed his sword, threw his white fur pelt over his shoulder and opened the door.

"Maybe you will be in the mood to speak with me without crude remarks." He glanced back at Nanami, who was still sulking in her chair, and then left.

Hours passed. Nanami had done anything she could in the house with Rin, including reading her some old scrolls of legends and myths, braiding the girl's hair into an elaborate hairdo, they even went outside to throw snowballs at each other. Jaken remained in the house and would occasionally shuffle out of his room to get something or check on Rin, grumbling to himself, and then would crawl back into his room.

It was well past noon, the bleak snowy skies threatening to turn darker with the approaching dusk. After eating a rice cake she found in the kitchen, Rin was taking a nap on the same fur throw Sesshomaru slept on, facing the fire. Nanami sat across from her, reading a scroll about the war her father and the demon general fought two centuries ago that she found on one of the shelves. She looked up and set the scroll on the floor, resting her eyes for a moment. -I can leave right now, before he returns... and be done with this conflict.- Nanami realized. She stood up and struggled to determine what to do. She finally decided that it would be better for him and herself to be gone. She grabbed her clothes and sword, put on her coat and boots and stood in front of the door. -He'll find me again.- She glanced back at Rin to make sure she was sleeping, and she was. Nanami opened the door slowly and quickly slipped out of the house, cautiously sliding it back shut. She took a few light steps and started to walk down the snow covered stairs.

"And where will you go?" Sesshomaru's voice said loudly over the wind's howl. Nanami glanced up in fear, assuming he would start another brawl. But he simply looked on with those cold eyes.

"Nowhere." Nanami answered quietly, her arms dropping hopelessly to her sides. Sesshomaru stood in place, Ah-un was standing next to him, food in baskets or wrapped in cloth stacked on his saddle. Sesshomaru looked at Nanami for a moment to make sure she won't run again, and when she opened the door and put her clothes inside on the floor, he took a basket from the saddle and walked up the stairs. She took off her coat as Sesshomaru brought in the last and largest of the baskets and let Ah-un go to the back of the house. Nanami closed the door behind him. She took off her boots and set them in the genkan. She walked out into the main room stood in the center.

Jaken suddenly popped out of his dark cave and rushed to Sesshomaru.

"Welcome back, milord. Would you like your servant to prepare a supper?" He squealed. Sesshomaru just nodded once and began to take off his fur pelt. Rin mumbled in her sleep and turned away from the fire.

"Where did you get all that food?" Nanami broke the silence.

"A village... No. I did not kill anyone." Sesshomaru hung his pelt and took off his boots.

"They are not afraid of you? You are a demon."

Sesshomaru glanced at Nanami, but did not answer. Nanami seemed less tense around him as she was in the morning, but she was still talking coldly.

"You wanted to talk... So talk." Nanami said quietly and crossed her arms. Sesshomaru looked at the young woman. He wanted to say to her how much he regretted telling her all he had the night they returned and the day before, but his pride took over again.

"When we are alone..." Was all he managed and went to change. Nanami sighed in annoyance and returned to her scroll reading.

An uncomfortable hour passed until Jaken stuck his head out of the small kitchen and announced supper. Rin woke up and stretched lazily, and sat up. She snatched Sesshomaru's arm and tugged on it.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I'm famished! Let's eat!"

Sesshomaru glanced at Nanami, who refused to look up from her scroll.

"I am not hungry." She lied; she was starving, and he knew it.

"Is that so?"

"I will not sit at the same table with a man who tried to killed me." Nanami still did not bother looking up from her reading. Sesshomaru glared daggers at her.

"Then none of us will eat until you do."

Nanami let out an irritated growl. "As long as Rin has her dinner, I could care less."

"Perhaps you will be kind enough to join us for a civilized dinner." Sesshomaru negotiated using Rin, holding her arm while she made puppy eyes and pulled on the man's arm. Nanami grumbled a curse under her breath and stood up, stepping close to Sesshomaru.

"Satisfied?" She said in a low growl. Sesshomaru just let Rin's arm slip past his fingers and bolt through the kitchen into the banquet hall that Nanami did not even realize was there. Nanami stepped past Sesshomaru and into the room. A red oak table stood in the center of the dimly lit room. The walls had very old tapestries and paintings on them, one in particular of Sesshomaru's father. The table was set with beautiful plates and steaming food. There were several, small vegetable dishes, fried fish and meat, and a few bizarre dishes that Nanami had never seen before, or at least, did not remember seeing.

Rin and Jaken sat on the opposite sides of the table, with Nanami next to Rin and Sesshomaru at the head. Nanami was hungry as a dog, but would not let it show in a hundred years. She sat gracefully and scrutinized the food before retrieving a small portion for her plate. Rin was stuffing food into her tiny mouth, while Jaken seemed anxious and gulped clear liquid from a brown flask he kept hiding under the table.

"Rin. You are not in a pig sty." Sesshomaru said, displaying manners Nanami had not seen a man use in decades. It was as awkward and tense of a dinner Nanami had ever been to, everyone too hungry to speak. Or in case of Nanami hungry and angry. Jaken seemed to succumb to an urge to eat like a wild beast. He shoveled as much as he could into his mouth and ate ferociously. Nanami looked away, frowning in disgust. The cup in Sesshomaru's hand stopped halfway up to his mouth and he glared in annoyance at his servant. Jaken kept cramming the food down his throat, rice grains falling to the floor and the table. Then he choked, making odd sounds and sending a half-masticated chunk of meat into Nanami's plate. She dropped the chopsticks and glared at her plate in revulsion. Jaken flopped backwards on his back and twitched until his choking fit was over. Rin kept giggling and tried her best to repress that urge to laugh, but it failed. Sesshomaru closed his eyes for a moment, set down his cup, and braced himself mentally for what was going to come next.

"This is what you call a civilized dinner?" Nanami shot a taunting smile at Sesshomaru. "How charming..." The smile disappeared and she shoved the plate away from herself.

"Get up, Jaken. Bring her a clean plate and remove yourself from this room."

"Inexplicably, I seemed to have lost my appetite." Nanami snapped sarcastically.

Jaken barely wobbled onto his feet, but tripped, obviously drunk, and launched the rice cake in his hand at Rin.

"Don't throw food at me, Master Jaken!" Rin screeched and threw a mushroom back at the imp.

-What the hell am I doing here- Nanami thought, frustrated, and sank her head into the palms of her hands. Sesshomaru growled a warning to the imp and the little girl, both of whom kept throwing food at each other. Seeing as his threat had no effect, he slammed his fist on the table, making all three of them flinch, Jaken's reaction delayed by several seconds.

"I should have left when I had the chance... I cannot believe how stupid I was in believing that maybe, just maybe you have come to your senses." Nanami stood up and stormed out of the room.

"Jaken, if you don't want to spend the remainder of this storm in the snow, you will clean up this mess. Rin, stop throwing food, finish your meal, and go to sleep." Sesshomaru commanded and left after Nanami. She was mumbling angrily to herself as she gathered her things. Sesshomaru stopped in front of her, blocking her way to the genkan.

"Move." She hissed.

"Let's talk."

"Move. Now." She pushed him roughly. Sesshomaru grabbed her by her wrists, spun her around and pressed her back against himself, holding her wrists crossed over her chest.

"I will not let you out of here in this weather. It is only getting worse."

"And why in the hell would you give a damn?!" Nanami shouted, trying to break free. Sesshomaru winced as she started to kick back at his knees and legs. He snarled, lifted her up and carried her to the bedchamber, growling insults at him and kicking nonstop. He dropped her on the bed and closed the screen behind him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! I could have been home by now, not stuck in a nuthouse with a wasted toad, a hyper child and a bipolar demon!" Nanami screamed and launched a pillow at Sesshomaru. He caught it with one hand and glared at Nanami.

"What am I really here for, Sesshomaru?" She hissed. "Or is telling the truth too hard for you? ... I understand, with the affliction running through your family; your mother and all..."

Sesshomaru scowled and threw the pillow back at her. She caught it in her arms and in the time it took her to do so, Sesshomaru moved in front of her, standing mere inches away. He grabbed the pillow out of her hands and threw it forcefully against the wall.

"What do you want?!" She shoved at his shoulders.

"You will be no less furious even if I told you."

"You have no clue of how furious I am! How could I not be after all you've done?! After you toyed with me, driven me out of my mind, killed me, cursed me to live a lie for two centuries, killed my fiancé, blamed me for everything, and yet you expect me to be fine with it when I'm stuck in the same house with you?!"

"Nanami, I-"

"Don't bother. How do I know if you're lying or telling me the truth? I never know your true intentions! You always hide yourself under that cold exterior, not knowing what you want or what is important to you! You have your priorities askew, you know that? Is your image worth more than anything else?" Nanami shoved him away, shouting into his face, all while scrambling about to fix her disheveled kimono .

"Am I really nothing to you? Was everything you said indeed a lie?" She glared at him, hoping he would answer. "Drop the act, Sesshomaru, at least this one time. There is no one here with us. Tell me the truth before I leave, once and for all. You will lose me forever this time. So the least you could do is tell me the truth."

Sesshomaru stared at the young woman threatening him. He took a deep breath, nervous about telling her the truth and feeling even more uncomfortable breaking his usual aloof exterior and cold behavior.

"You made me weak." He said quietly. "The man I thought I was for the last two hundred years shattered in one night. Everything was turned inside out… I would never want anyone to harm you... so I distance myself from you, for your own good. Yet I cannot bring myself to leave you to fend for yourself any longer. You have the truth of it. I do not know what I want... I want you with me, yet because of you, I may let my guard down, and put you and Rin in danger. My enemies would come after you to get to me. I want you with me…but I have done too many wrongs to redeem myself... You're forbidden to me. " Sesshomaru said in a quiet mutter. Nanami glared at him in outright shock.

"How long are you going to do this to me? How much longer will you teeter-totter between hating and threatening to caring and protecting me? How much longer until you finally pick one or the other and adhere to it?" Nanami hissed, presuming this was one of his lies to get her to stay for whatever reason. He was intentionally cruel and heartless with her just a day ago, now he is saying things that would make any woman's heart melt... though Nanami had nothing left to melt. Sesshomaru was unsure of how to react as one tear slid down Nanami's cheek. She quickly brushed it away as if nothing happened. She lowered herself to her knees on the bed, straightening up the covers and smoothing the kimono over her legs. Sesshomaru glanced up toward the garden doors, as if diverting his eyes for a moment while he thought of what to do. He reluctantly kneeled down in front of Nanami and reached for her, trying to lift up her chin so she would look at him. Nanami slapped away his hand, growling "Don't touch me" without so much as a glance at him.

"Nanami... I never wanted it to be this way. I was a fool. I let my pride take control of me and blind me. I... I wish I could turn back the time and stop myself from doing all I had done to you. From telling you what I never meant, from hurting you and then wanting to break my hands for doing so. Had I chosen not to focus on preserving who I was as opposed to protecting what really mattered…" Sesshomaru didn't know how to finish his thought. Frankly, he didn't know if he could have ever done things differently.

"I know you will never forgive me for my past mistakes. Just listen to what I say, at least for now... I would do anything for a chance to be with you, even if it's for only a few, brief days." Sesshomaru tried to convince Nanami that what he was saying was true. That he meant every single word of it. But deep down inside, he knew he was fighting a lost battle.

"I can't, Sesshomaru... I can't and won't." She whimpered quietly, feeling miserable that she could not allow herself to hold him close to her, fearing he will betray her again.

"Then what do I have to do to prove it to you? What do you want me to do?... Just say something. Anything."

Nanami wished she could zone out everything but the sound of the wind pummeling the house. She wished to run off into the storm, wanted to just disappear, to be free of the pain, the anger and the emptiness.

"I will do whatever it takes... because if you hate me... I would never forgive myself for all I have done, I would hate myself for even breathing while you're in the slightest bit of pain." Sesshomaru reeled in every bit of remaining courage in his body to accept and voice his desires, before the brief instant of nerve escaped him again. He felt as if he was turning himself inside out. -If you want, I'll silence the thunder... turn day into night... jump off a cliff... poison myself... - But he could not choose the right words for what he wanted to say; nothing seemed adequate.

"Promise me... Swear to me... that when the storm is over... you will forget about me and never come after me." Nanami said quietly, her voice laced with indecisiveness and anxiety. Sesshomaru didn't want her to leave. He wanted her with him, under his protection; but he knew that she had made up her mind. There was no use trying to convince her to stay a moment longer than she had to.

"I... promise…" Sesshomaru was despondent. His heart turned inside out, realizing that the only woman he coveted was the one he could never have. Nanami looked up into his amber eyes, tears welling up in hers. Despite them, she had a fierce, cold gaze that pierced the dark room.

"Don't beg for me to come back to you, you know I will never do that. Not you, not I, not anyone on this earth can change that. You're not mine. I'm not yours." Nanami said, feeling as if her blood stopped flowing through her veins. She felt as if she was choking, short of breath, remembering this feeling from two centuries ago. Sesshomaru felt as if a dagger had stabbed him relentlessly. He never thought he would ever feel this way. He remembered the first day he saw her, months ago, having no care for who she was, thinking her a helpless, pathetic woman with delusions of him being her enemy - and yet he turned out to be just that. Sesshomaru scorned Tsuneo for all he had done to Nanami, never stopping to think that it was he who was slowly killing her.

Sesshomaru took hold of one of her hands, wrapping both of his around it. Nanami looked at him miserably. He brought her slender hand up to his face and lightly kissed it. She grit her teeth and looked away.

"But you let me into your life, into your fate, you remembered me and came after me... then why did you break me? Why did you want me to be gone?" She lightly pulled her hand back. Sesshomaru let her hand slip past his fingers and looked into her teary eyes.

"I was afraid of becoming like my father... I was afraid of my weakness destroying me."

"So you destroyed your weakness..."

"I couldn't without ripping myself apart." Sesshomaru stood up and pulled Nanami up to himself, pressing her close to his body, not wanting to let go. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and waist, yet hers did nothing. Sesshomaru held her tightly in his embrace, smelling her silky hair, imprinting the scent in his mind. He felt as if tiny shocks were spreading through his body. After a moment, Nanami's hands slipped up his strong back to his shoulders and clutched his shirt.

"I will never forgive you." She whispered.

"I know." His chin rested on her shoulder. Nanami took a deep breath and looked at the empty wall. Her heart was racing as she felt the warmth of Sesshomaru's body in the cold room. Sesshomaru's hands pressed Nanami closer to himself, wanting to stay like that forever, to listen to her breathe, to indulge in every sacred moment he had with the woman that somehow came back to him after two turmoiled centuries, even when she had no idea who he was. For the first time, Sesshomaru was baffled by the possibility of crossing paths again in two hundred years and the truth revealing itself.

"I can't lose you again." He muttered.

"You will... this can't be resolved any other way."

"What if it can?"

Nanami closed her eyes and swallowed a burning lump in her throat. She pushed away slightly, placed both her hands on his neck and stood up tiptoed. She leaned in and her lips brushed his lightly, a shiver running down her spine. Sesshomaru could not fight off the impulse to kiss her, so he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, lost in the moment. Deep inside, he was in chaos, knowing that she will be gone any day, knowing that tomorrow this would be a mistake. He held on to her kiss, running his fingers through her hair and taking hold of her neck, relishing every instant of their slow kiss. Nanami pulled away gently and bit her bottom lip. She opened her eyes and glared at Sesshomaru as she fought off two opposite desires; one to kiss him again and one to slap him as hard as she could manage. Sesshomaru was looking down at the apprehensive woman before him, not entirely sure of what to do nor what she would do. The taste of her lips remained on Sesshomaru's mind and his heart could not help but flutter for a moment.

Nanami placed her right hand on Sesshomaru's neck, her thumb under his ear and pulled him closer to herself again. She pressed her lips against his, pausing briefly before kissing him passionately. After a moment of bewilderment at Nanami's reaction, Sesshomaru felt as if everything around him went silent, a tingling sensation filled him and his mind could only focus on the sweetness and the warmth of Nanami's kiss. Yet before he could return the sudden burst of passion, Nanami's right hand tightened around his neck as she pulled away ever so slightly. He opened his eyes to find her alluring gaze transform into one of disappointment and anger.

"Get out." She whispered, as though she was weary of his presence. Her tone was cold, like that of some noble woman displeased with her servant. It reminded him of the exact phrase his mother would use with her attendants. She pushed Sesshomaru away and turned her back to him, readying her bed for the night. Sesshomaru stood dumbfounded, watching Nanami, not sure what to think.

Suddenly, there was a crash, doors slammed, Rin was shrieking and Jaken plummeted to the ground near Sesshomaru's sleeping chamber. Rin slammed the door to her room and did not dare come out. Sesshomaru's eyes shot to the door. He stepped out of the room. The imp scrambled up to his feet and was mumbling incoherently. Sesshomaru glared at his servant.

"I beg your f-forgiveness my Lord." Jaken mumbled, straightening his garments. Nanami scowled and closed the sliding door right behind Sesshomaru.

"I heard yelling and commotion so I went to investigate. I saw you in the room with that woman and I just wanted to make sure nothing happened. I was only safeguarding -I swear to you m'lord, I was only out here to make sure everything was alright!"

Sesshomaru was on the brink of turning the frog into fertilizer; his face was vicious, fists clenched, jaw tensed at the realization that his most revealing, intimate conversation with Nanami, or anyone for that matter, was overheard.

"Jaken. Get out of my sight or you will take a trip to the bottom of the mountain the fast way." Sesshomaru hissed. Jaken gulped and limped back to his room.

Sesshomaru took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He turned back toward the door to his bedchamber and listened intently to what Nanami was doing. The room was silent, though the sound of the wind was louder. He frowned and stepped closer to the door. Sesshomaru felt a slight, cold draft and pushed the screen to the side. The doors to the garden were open, with light snowflakes streaming into the bedroom. Nanami was nowhere to be found. Sesshomaru walked to the garden doors and stepped out just in time to see Nanami slowly treading her way through the snow, barefoot, holding the kimono up to her knees. He could hear her sniffling and suppressing soft cries.

Sesshomaru let out a sigh and walked toward her, the snow pummeling him from all directions. He caught up to her right before she turned around. Her tears gleamed down her cheeks and the impenetrable, undefeatable exterior was replaced with a look of fear, helplessness, and a mix of other emotions indiscernible from each other. She stopped in her tracks, realizing what she was doing wasn't going to help herself and how foolish she was right now, treading a snow storm barefoot. She couldn't believe her own actions. Sesshomaru stopped next to her and placed his hand on the base of the back of her neck. He pressed her to his chest tightly, wrapping his arm around her waist. He felt her let go in his arms and cry. She sobbed into his chest and wrung his kimono shirt in her fingers.

"Come back inside." He whispered to her after a few moments. Nanami calmed a bit and nodded weakly before looking up at Sesshomaru. She let go of his shirt, wiped the tears from her face and walked back up to the bedroom. Sesshomaru lit the fire in the pit and looked up. Nanami had closed the door and stood against the wall by the fire, watching his every move. The snow on her hair had melted and her cheeks were rosy from the cold. She had stopped crying, her tears were drying and she was just staring blankly at the fire. She switched her gaze to Sesshomaru. The two of them glared at each other, both looking as if they had to say something but neither budged. Nanami folded her hands behind her back against the wall and looked down at the fire. The silence dragged on for a few minutes. Finally, Nanami pushed herself away from the wall and sashayed to the bed. Sesshomaru watched her out of the corner of his eyes. She sat herself down gracefully on the bed a mere few feet away from Sesshomaru, sitting on her right thigh, her legs bent at the knees and left leg stacked on top. She supported herself with her right arm outstretched, palm flat against the mattress. She fiddled with the dress with her left hand and gazed at Sesshomaru. He was still kneeling by the fire, but turned his head to watch Nanami. She had a peculiar look on her face. He could almost see the conflicting thoughts flash through her mind and materialize themselves in the way she looked at him.

Hesitatingly, Sesshomaru lowered himself down onto the bed, his movements more cautious than a prey avoiding its predator. He moved himself up on the mattress and laid down on the left side of the bed, his left arm behind his head. Nanami watched him carefully, not understanding what he was doing and with what purpose. His eyes were now closed but she knew full well he was listening to her intently. She sat still for a while, watching him lay there like a marble statue of a god. She turned on to her knees and softly moved herself up to his level. She lowered herself down onto the mattress, a few inches away from him at first. She continued to watch him, almost curiously, wondering what he was thinking. Reluctantly, she slipped closer to him, lowering her head onto his shoulder, her body pressed next to him, her hand gently resting on his chest. Sesshomaru opened his eyes and glanced down at Nanami, beyond elated feeling her warmth next to him. His left arm lowered and wrapped around her neck and shoulders.

Sesshomaru glanced down at her and ran his fingers through her hair. He remembered the night two hundred years ago, the night his father died. Sesshomaru felt as if it was all unreal -a dream. He listened to her breathe and watched her fall asleep. -How am I to live without you?- Sesshomaru closed his eyes and fell asleep as well, hoping he would wake up with Nanami still there.

But some things are too good to be true. When Sesshomaru woke the next morning, Nanami was gone. Sesshomaru bolted upright, scoping the room for the woman. She wasn't there. -How did she get past me? How could I not hear her or feel her stand up and leave?- He jolted up from the bed and frowned, leaving the room, hoping to find her in the main room. Sesshomaru's eyes reached the genkan, where Nanami's clothes, sword and bow were missing. He let out a low, frustrated growl and, without thinking went to the door. He opened it, but stopped in his tracks. -You made a promise...- He reminded himself. -There is nothing you can do. She's gone. She knows what she wants and what she needs to do. You have done enough to her. Don't infuriate her any more. Go back to your own life. You managed without her for two centuries, you can do it again...- Sesshomaru convinced himself and reluctantly closed the door. -Let her go. Do not follow in your father's footsteps... Don't fall prey to your weakness... do not be like him.- Sesshomaru walked away from the door and scoffed to himself. -Too late...-


	8. Consequence

Nanami made her way through the cascade of white flakes, looking a little odd in the golden kimono, boots and a fur coat. She was weary of plowing her way through the thick layer of snow up and down hill through the forest. She had finally reached the hill overlooking the small village where Inuyasha had found her what seemed to be so long ago. She made her way down toward a hut at the bottom of the shrine stairs, thinking about what happened the night before. -You idiot. What were you thinking? He's tricking you again. And you're falling for it. Once was enough to last you a lifetime. Go back home, take your place, live properly, like your people expect you to. They will shun me if they find out about Sesshomaru. Ha, I'm already shunned by many... I don't even know if there is anything left of my people, my family... It's hopeless. I am so deep in this mess, there is no way out.- Nanami approached the hut slowly, receiving awkward looks from the villagers. Some stopped in their tracks and stared, others ran into their homes. Inuyasha walked out of the hut briskly, scowling.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, sniffing the air, obviously not liking something.

"Nice to see you too, Inuyasha. I'm just here to visit, as always." Nanami walked past him into the hut, greeted by a friendly kiss on the cheek from Sango.

"Isn't this storm dreadful?" Shippo chirped as he sat down on a mat next to a fire, roasting fish. Nanami simply nodded and sat down on the floor.

"What a lovely kimono… But it wouldn't have been my choice in this weather." Sango observed the young woman. Nanami looked at her dress and brushed a few melting snowflakes from it.

"You were with him… weren't you?" Inuyasha stood at the doorway, frowning and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Him who?" Shippo asked, turning his fish.

"My ass of a brother, who else?" Inuyasha snapped rudely. Sango's eyebrows raised and she stared at Nanami, surprised.

"I can smell him on you..." Inuyasha announced, disgusted. Nanami shot him a cold stare.

"Well... did Sesshomaru hurt you in anyway?" Sango questioned nervously. Nanami awarded her with a 'you've gotta be kidding me' look.

"Right. I guess that's a silly question."

"Not to mention all he had told and done her these past months. He's a despicable dog! He does not know how to treat a lady. Actually, he doesn't know how to treat anyone or anything other than himself. He's in love with himself! All he cares about is his oh so great power and being better than anyone else." Shippo chided, trying to sound more knowledgeable and mature than he really was. Nanami shook her head and ignored the comment.

"What did he do to you?" Inuyasha cut in.

"Nothing, sheltered me to wait out the storm. That's it." Nanami said, irritated.

"Why? Something else had to have happened, you were just at each other's throats..."

"Well, if you really need to know... I spent a day alone with Rin. Then Jaken launched a chunk of half-digested meat on my plate during dinner, which lead to a conversation that ended with an agreement for me to be left alone. Satisfied?" Nanami answered, annoyed by Inuyasha's nosiness.

"Come on, Nanami. There's no way that after that fight he took you to his shack-"

"It wasn't a shack. Leave it alone." Nanami grumbled, losing her patience.

"Whatev-See?! Exactly my point! You're defending him! Something happened, otherwise you would not have reacted this way! Spill it, Nanami!"

"He tried to apologize, and I made him promise that when I leave, he would not go after me. He did! That's it!" Nanami hissed and glared at Inuyasha.

"Sesshomaru apologize? Hahaha!" Inuyasha cackled. "My brother? Really? How'd you manage that one?" The smile wiped off his face and he glared at Nanami. Her temper flared.

"Do you know why he hates me? Truly? Because if it weren't for me, for my actions, however accidental they were… YOU wouldn't have been here. Your father wouldn't have died saving your human mother… That's why he hates me. That's why his mother blamed everything on me. Why he believed I killed his father… So no, I can't tell you why after all these years he goes through the trouble to bring me back here and why on earth he is now apologizing. Even if he had come to his senses and realized it was all tragic coincidence, I have a hard time believing it. Leave it at that."

The half-demon stared at her wide eyed, ghostly pale. Sango sat speechless, her eyes no less shocked. There was an uncomfortable silence in the small hut, so thick one could cut through it with a knife. Inuyasha's astounded glare bored into Nanami until she shook her head and looked down at her lap.

"I came here to escape from him… Do you mind if I change, please? I can't wear this a moment longer." Nanami said quietly. -I should have just gone home…-

"Sure, uh... go ahead..." Sango answered faintly. The silver haired half-demon stepped out of the hut wordlessly.

"I'll, uh... go and talk to Inuyasha." Shippo said and stood up quickly, heading for the door. Sango stayed in the hut as Nanami took off the golden kimono, folding it neatly. Nanami's thoughts slipped back to how closely Sesshomaru held her, how warm his body was, how helpless she allowed herself to feel in his arms, knowing he would protect her, yet denying it in her mind. Sango observed the young woman out of the corner of her eye, seeing the way she looked at the kimono. Nanami put on the clothes she wore two days ago and sat down near the fire, twisting her long hair into a messy bun at the back of her head.

"You don't have to tell me, but I know how you feel, Nanami." Sango whispered. The young woman glanced up at her.

"This feeling... it... it cannot be helped. I am just sorry to tell you that your heart chose the wrong man. Please, do not take that in offense, I just hope you do not make the wrong choice." Sango continued.

"What is the right choice, then? I leave him, he always finds me. Even after 200 years and that damn poison, he still finds me. Wherever I go, he will follow." Nanami sounded hopeless. Sango felt pity toward the girl, saddened by the fact that she fell in love with a man who is incapable of feeling, whose heart is nothing but stone.

"I... don't know what to think or do. First he tells me such cruel things, doesn't hold back from hurting me, demeaning me without any hesitation... then tell-begging, even, for me to stay with him, telling me things like he wouldn't dare to breathe if I'm in the slightest bit of pain, do anything for me to listen to what he has to say. What else could I have done than leave?" Nanami felt frustrated at the man's actions. She wondered if he even meant what he said the night before. She regretted that she stayed, that she believed him... that she held him so close, kissed him like she once did a long, long time ago. Nanami could not believe she let him embrace her, let his lips meet hers, touch her. She shut her eyes to stop the tears and dropped her head into her hands.

"Oh, God... How could I fall for it again?" She whimpered quietly. Sango looked down at her hands and was grateful she was with a man who loved her, who would do anything to be with her, go to any lengths to protect her. She was not sure that was what Sesshomaru felt for Nanami, despite all that he has done to get her back to this country… and yet he turned around and stabbed her in the back. She began to wonder if that was his cruel form of retribution for Nanami's part in his father's death.

Inuyasha burst into the hut and snatched Nanami's arm, pulling her up.

"Get your damn claws off of me!" She shouted, but Inuyasha just threw her outside. She was about to tear his throat out when a strong hand pinned her by the neck against the wall of the hut.

"So this is what lengths you go to get you vengeance?" Sesshomaru's deep voice growled only a mere inch from her face.

"Your useless moron of a brother cannot do anything to help me." Nanami snarled back, putting both her hands around his forearm. She was shocked to hear nothing come from Inuyasha.

"It is not him I am speaking of... two dozen ships full of your people landed on my coast last night, and declared war on the Western Lands. Explain that little coincidence to me."

"You're lying, who would go to war with you?"

"You."

"I do not need an armada to get my revenge."

"Then who sent them? Why would they be here, then?"

"I don't know, you cretin! 'My people' have no idea where I am, I have no say in what they do. Let go of me!" Nanami shouted, slapping Sesshomaru across the face. He became furious, baring his fangs slightly in a growl, closing in on Nanami, his forehead nearly resting on hers.

"Let me go." She whispered. Sango stepped out of the hut and observed their interaction alongside Inuyasha, each making their own conclusion.

"If they do not leave now, I will have to stop them my way."

"Well that does not seem to be a problem for you… We both know you've gotten plenty of practice." She snarled, causing his fingers to tighten.

"How do you know they're my people?" Nanami questioned hastily, before his grip intensified any further.

Sesshomaru pulled back and hesitated for a moment, then finally answered.

"Your fiancé was there."

Nanami's rage vanished, and her face went pale.

"Vlad?" She asked weakly. "But he... you killed him..."

"No, I did not, considering he stood on my shores this morning." Sesshomaru growled, wondering if Nanami really did summon them to war against him.

"That is not possible... I saw you kill him..."

"I will say it again... I did not kill him."

"Why and how is he here?"

"That should be obvious. He wants me dead, and I cannot kill him because you will despise me even more and will end up doing something foolish."

"What does that matter? You are beyond redemption no matter what you do."

Sesshomaru's eyes dimmed as he let go of her neck and backed away. He turned and left back the way he came from. Nanami kept her gaze focused on his back. Her blood began to boil, enraged that Vlad was here to kill Sesshomaru and take her... or kill her. She cursed to herself, gathered her things and bolted in the direction of the coast.

"Hey-Nanami! Where the hell is she going?!" Inuyasha protested. Sesshomaru merely looked behind his shoulder toward Nanami and continued walking. -Don't do it. Don't try and drive him off alone.-

Nanami ran as fast as she could without completely exhausting herself. -Is it true? Is Vlad really alive?… How?- Nanami kept replaying Sesshomaru's attack on Vlad over and over again in her mind. She could not fathom how he could have possibly survived those injuries. - Even if he is alive, a brush with death wasn't enough to tell him that he should stay away? He just imposed a death sentence on himself... whether it be from me or Sesshomaru... What is he thinking? That I am just waiting to be carried off into that miserable city by him again and that he can have me under complete control?- Nanami ran for about an hour until she was approximately twenty miles from the coast- still a long way to go. She heard the sound of marching troops, the clinking of armor and weapons and the barks of higher officers. She skidded to a stop on the snowy downhill slope and dropped to her knees behind the roots of a large tree. She peered out very cautiously and analyzed the army. They were all wearing armor and animal skins to keep safe and warm. Her heart seemed to drop to her ankles. Vlad was at the head of the platoon, clad in armor, a vicious glare adorning his scarred face, riding a rather large brown horse. Nanami scowled and reached for her bow and an arrow, but stopped halfway. -I can't take all of them on myself...- The string of soldiers seemed to be endless; they just kept pressing on and on up the hill.

Nanami leaned back and sank lower between the roots. -They'll destroy everything... everyone... for what? They can't possibly, logically be here just for me. Who would be fool enough to send an entire army just to get me home?- She swallowed her anxiety and peeked out again, and as soon as she did, she thought she was hallucinating.

A very tall, fit man who looked as if in his early fifties, with gray hair, bright blue eyes, and pale skin walked beside his white stallion, accompanying Vlad's uncle, the portly governor, at the side of the advancing army. Nanami's jaw dropped in awe, not believing her eyes. She felt as if she was in a nightmare, as if she was watching someone else experience what was happening to her. -Papa...- Nanami could not believe that her own father was in alliance with her enemy. Just then, Nanami made a decision she should not have followed through with; she stood up and walked out from behind the tree.

"Father?" She asked meekly. The soldiers swiftly turned and drew their weapons. The gray haired man turned toward the young woman, his eyes widening, his lips parting in surprise. -Is that my daughter?-

"Why are you here, father? Why are you with them?" Nanami interrogated.

"Is that really you, -"

"Who else would call you father in Japan? Why have you come with them?"

"I came to help them return you where you belong. You were kidnapped, were you not? How did you manage to escape?"

"Kidnapped? I left by my own will. And I was never held prisoner." Nanami retorded, angry at the lies her father must have been fed. "Why the host if you're simply here for me?"

"The attack on the port… your disappearance… We are answering the call to war. This demon is a threat and has to be eliminated." Her father answered with a furrowed brow, but Nanami wasn't convinced.

"Wouldn't a small highly trained force be a more sensible solution? This isn't particularly subtle… and clearly costly." Nanami could see her father was hiding something, but before he divulged his secrets, she heard the muffled gallops of a horse and her betrothed came into view. He jumped off the horse in front of Nanami's father and stared at her, remembering that night he was almost killed. He remembered seeing her behind the flames of his clothes, her eyes so ferocious, they sent a chill down his spine. But that memory did not stop him. He took slow steps toward the scowling woman. He stopped in front of her and stared at her longingly, as if his almost accomplished rape never happened. He raised his hands to touch her face. Nanami seized him by his wrists and slammed him against the trunk of the tree she was hiding behind. Her hand grabbed his jaw, her fingers nearly gouging his skin.

"What do you think you are doing? Do you actually believe that all you have done to me was a trifle?… Honestly... I wish he had killed you." Nanami hissed and let go of him. Vlad casually signaled his troops to continue their way through the forest.

"That creature does not even deserve to breathe after what he has done!" He growled ferociously, taking a step toward Nanami.

"In my eyes, you should be dead before him." She retorted coldly.

"That beast is no where near the man I am."

"You? A man? That's news." Nanami taunted.

"You're pushing your luck, girl." Vlad sneered and clenched his fists.

"Hm… Terrifying…."

"One more rude remark out of that mouth, and you'll regret every single word."

"Do not even dare speak that way to my daughter or I will be the one to to tear you to bits." Nanami's father growled loudly.

"With all due respect, sir, stay out of this. We have much to catch up on." Vlad responded, his eyes still on the woman. Nanami glanced at her father's insulted countenance, then turned back to Vlad. She walked up to him slowly and placed one hand on his neck.

"Vlad..." She said sweetly, then swiftly forced him to the ground face first. Her right knee was planted on his back, right hand holding his neck to the ground, the other twisting his left arm backwards almost out of its socket. "You should really consider reserving a place in hell… I'm like to send you there shortly."

"Get off. I'm not here to hurt or kill you. Just that atrocity that stole you from me."

"You won't find him."

"No, but he will find me." Vlad announced slyly. Nanami knew there was truth in his words.

"What are you going to do?"

"Wait and see. And do not worry, no harm will come to you. Your father will take you home where you will await my arrival."

"Rather brave of you to be commanding me around when I have you pinned to the ground."

"He will come to me, sooner or later. I have already wiped out three port villages on his lands and established our control." Vlad continued as if she had said nothing. "The troops will arrive at the next town any minute now. My bait is set."

Nanami frowned and glanced up at her father. He looked away nervously. Nanami couldn't come to grips with the realization that her father knew their plan for conquest all along.

"An invasion?! Are you all deranged?!"

The governor stood a few short feet away from her father and observed their interactions. He did not care for the girl and did not come for the same reason as his nephew. The Western Lands were wealthy and prosperous, and he could not resist the call of its riches. This was the perfect situation for him to gain control over the lands and open up a trade to the closed off nation. The Sea of Japan and some of the richest lands would be his. He was starting to get impatient with the whole spectacle and quietly urged Nanami's father to walk up the hill and leave the 'kids' alone to finish their little brawl before he was dissuaded from the stratagem any further. He was reluctant to participate as it was, limiting his involvement to bringing his daughter home and leaving the absurd mission to the rest of them.

"I was informed that the Lord of the Western Lands, the son of my former ally, attacked the port city, slaughtered half the population and kidnapped my daughter. I am here to retrieve you and they will put an end to this threat. My forces remain on the mainland." Nanami's father replied to his daughter's earlier question.

"You low-life liar..." She snarled at the governor and stood up, allowing Vlad to get up and rub his shoulder. Screams, the sound of collapsing buildings and the clink of metal resonated in the distance. She took one last look at her father, her eyes full of incredulity, before she followed the sound of the commotion. Her father frowned at the other two men and rushed after her.

Sesshomaru overlooked the army storming into the small village. He snarled, tensed his hands, ready to rip them all to shreds. He descended down the hill, incandescent, and made his way into the town. The panicked villagers were shocked to see him, but ran past him to the fortified part of the town in hopes of surviving the siege. Sesshomaru faced the soldiers on the main street.

"You dare trespass on my lands with any hope of accomplishment?" He challenged in a deep, harsh voice, fuming at their intrusion. The soldiers stopped their attack and glared at the man, swords drawn, arrows nocked. They hesitated for a few seconds, then sent their arrows through the air and proceeded with their attack.

By the time Nanami got to the village, everything was quiet. She stopped and frowned at the peculiar silence of the area. Her father had caught up to her, and as soon as she saw him, she pretended to not know he was there and ran through the gates into the village. She stopped in the middle of the street when she saw no less than a hundred soldiers wounded or dead on the ground, Sesshomaru standing and breathing heavily among them. He had blood all over him and his sword, and an arrow sticking out of his chest, close to the shoulder, right above his armor. He looked up at Nanami, who was already sprinting past the fallen soldiers toward him. Behind her, he saw his father's former ally, except the man was older. His liquid gold eyes were cold and ruthless, his stoic face threatening and focused. But Sesshomaru's boiling point arrived at the gate a few seconds later. Vlad marched into the town and glared at the destruction of his men, then looked up at the silver haired demon.

Nanami ran up to Sesshomaru and immediately inspected the arrow lodged in his chest.

"Is it deep? Can you breathe alright?" She asked, concerned, her fingers gently trying to pull apart the fabric around the arrow so she could get a closer look at his wound.

"I am fine... It's only a flesh wound." Sesshomaru answered quietly, surprised by her sudden concern.

"How sweet... A barbarian and a reject from hell." Vlad declared loudly and drew his sword.

"You pathetic weakling. Do you honestly think that hunk of metal and your sloth-like movement will defeat me?" Sesshomaru was amused by Vlad's blind confidence. The man just smirked.

"Ha, maybe not. But he will." Vlad sneered coldly and motioned behind the two. Sesshomaru turned and saw Tsuneo, clad in his armor.

"How nice to see you again, Sesshomaru."

"Isn't it time for you to be rotting in hell a thousand times over?" Sesshomaru hissed.

"Not before you do." He motioned with his head to something behind Sesshomaru. He heard scattered shuffling of feet and the sound of a blade cutting cloth and flesh. Sesshomaru turned around toward Nanami. Vlad was holding her, his hand covering her mouth, her back against his chest, his sword bloody. She was frowning in pain, muffled groans of pain escaping her and blood was seeping from a long cut across her abdomen. Vlad was smiling evilly at Sesshomaru.

"What will the 'Great' Lord Sesshomaru do now?" He asked. "Save the little siren, or your lands and your people?"

The layer of white snow was stained with drops of crimson as the blood trickled past Nanami's trembling fingers that held her wound. Sesshomaru felt his blood boil to the point of no return, much like the night at the pier. Vlad was staring at Nanami with combination of lust and bloodthirst. Then he leaned in close to her ear.

"This is for your betrayal." He whispered, moving his hand from her mouth to her neck and pressed his lips roughly on hers. He threw her to the ground and turned away. She barely managed to get on her knees, one hand covering the gash across her torso below her ribs, the other in the snow.

"You monster! I hope you die a humiliating death and the whole world knows you as the traitor you are!" Nanami screamed, the warmth of her breath fluttering in the frigid air. Her father was running toward her, concern written all over her face. He dropped in front of her, aiming to investigate the wound.

"You have to let me see." He whispered softly, but his daughter pushed his arm away angrily. He glanced up at the man in front of him, behind Nanami. He resembled his former friend so closely. He was a fierce sight... His eyes were closed and it looked like the demon was trying his best to repress his desire to rip everything to shreds.

"Decide, Sesshomaru. Your lands or the woman… Either way you die." The black eyed menace reminded him grimly. Sesshomaru's eyes shot open, now a deep red shade. He was breathing heavily, his chest moving up and down rhythmically, his jaw and neck tensing to the point where his veins were visible.

Nanami's father watched the transformation cautiously, knowing that when it happened, nothing in the world would stop the man from doing what he needed and wanted to do. Nanami took deep, steady breaths and turned toward Sesshomaru, her haunting blue-gray eyes fixed on the demon.

"Sesshomaru..." She whispered meekly. More soldiers filed into the city; the ones through the entrance were under Vlad's control, the ones from the back were demons sent by Tsuneo.

"Get her out." Sesshomaru demanded in an authoritative voice to her father, who obeyed the younger man without a second thought. He helped his daughter up as she stared at the demon, and walked back to the entrance.

Vlad was walking toward his soldiers when Nanami lost her temper and ripped free of her father's grip. She used every ounce of her strength, and ran toward him without making a sound. She drew the sword from her back and hit the back of his head with the pommel with all her might . The force knocked the man to the ground face first in front of his troops. She sheathed her own sword again and stepped over Vlad. The soldiers all stared at their commander in shock and shame, not believing the fight that was imminent. Nanami snatched his sword from his belt and aimed the scabbard's chape at his spine, right below his neck. With one swift, precise motion, she thrust the rigid scabbard into its target, making Vlad scream in pain. She launched the weapon at the soldiers, giving them all death glares. She stood over Vlad, grabbed him by his cape and turned him over so he faced her. She kneeled and closed her eyes. The wind around the two seemed to freeze in place, the snowflakes hung in the air motionless. Vlad felt as if he was underwater, not understanding what was happening. Nanami opened her eyes; they were blinding white with a blue tint. Vlad did not know how to react other than be horrified out of his mind.

"Not so helpless after all, am I?" Nanami said in an calm voice. "You cannot control everything and everyone that comes into your little self-conscious world ... so enjoy life without control."

Her father was as awestruck as everyone else. He had never seen her daughter use her gift. The only one that has was Sesshomaru, and he knew that if she had enough strength to use it, she had enough strength to escape safely. Tsuneo, who fled before the last time Nanami revealed her true self, seemed as if he was about to rip his own limbs off. -The ring doesn't hold her power?! What the hell was that whole expensive ambush for?! It cost me my most successful creation! Where is the source of that abomination's power?-

Sesshomaru used the demon's shock and lack of focus to his own advantage and attacked him, sending a torrent of energy twice its usual power at him, shattering his barrier of servant demons. They were ripped to shreds, but managed to release a huge cloud of miasma around their master. Sesshomaru rushed his opponent, slashing at the armored demon. Tsuneo hardly put up a fight, preferring to dodge blows but not return them, as if he was waiting for something. Sesshomaru managed to maim an arm of the demon's. He swiftly snatched Nanami's black gold ring from one of the fingers before it was too late.

"Unfortunately, I have to cut our charming little meeting short, Lord Sesshomaru. But do not despair, you have not seen the last of me." The demon announced in a bothered, snobby tone and began to flee. But before he disappeared completely, he ordered his second round of demons to destroy everyone in sight. Sesshomaru sent another torrent at the demon and turned toward the next wave of attackers without even bothering to see what became of the black eyed villain. The miscreant's demons prepared to attack and let out a few growls. Sesshomaru smirked maliciously and sheathed his sword. The demons let out a bizarre sounding battle cry and charged at Sesshomaru with their weapons, wether they be swords or body parts, drawn and aimed.

Nanami stepped away from Vlad, eyes eerily glowing, creating a surreal scene of a goddess staring death at the soldiers.

"Out of my way." She demanded. The warriors took on battle formation in reply and readied their weapons.

"Have it your way, but you will not stop me." She said.

"Kill her!" Vlad shouted loudly. Nanami took a deep breath and the soldiers froze in place, unable to move. She took her father's hand and with him made her way through the barracade of statue-still soldiers out of the city. Less than half a mile into the forest, Nanami collapsed unconscious.

Back in the town, Sesshomaru hacked to pieces the whole entire demon army within a few short minutes of Nanami's departure. The stench of demon blood filled the air and tainted the white town dark red. Sesshomaru turned toward Vlad's army, who didn't seem to be disturbed by his rampage. They stood in a half circle, surrounding him, swords and spears drawn. -Persistent fools... once wasn't enough?-

"I want his head on a platter!" Shouted Vlad. Sesshomaru was surprised the creature was even saying anything. He was paralyzed from the neck down, being carried by two soldiers to the back, and yet he had the gall to say anything against a demon who could turn him into dust in seconds. Sesshomaru bared his fangs and growled, ripping the arrow from his chest. He examined the tip, dripping with his blood, then glanced up at the army.

They charged at him with a deafening battle cry. Sesshomaru dodged almost every single blow and slaughtered every single warrior that attacked him. He seemed to have more trouble getting rid of Nanami's kind; they were stronger, smarter and had a more developed battle technique than the clueless, disorganized demons.

Nanami's father was kneeling over his daughter, trying to keep her conscious and inspecting the oozing cut. A black fog drew his attention away from the girl, manifesting itself before him; shape of a man began to materialize in the mist. The young woman's father drew his longsword without hesitation, preparing to defend his daughter.

Just when the warriors seemed to have Sesshomaru completely surrounded and close to being overwhelmed, the demon remembered why they were there, what Vlad convinced them was happening. He remembered all that his mother had done to him and to Nanami. His own mother, overwhelmed by her grief and anxiety and pain, poisoned his mind, and crippled his life and the life of Nanami. He remembered his father, and his decision to follow his human, and he felt enraged. He took out his anger at all the wrongs that were done to him and to Nanami on the army, even though those men had no fault. A burst of power seemed to flow into him; there was a shockwave resonating from him and he slashed the whole army to dust with one swing of his sword. Not only did he take out the whole army, but half the city and forest before him. The landscape looked as if a meteor hit it and destroyed all signs of life. In the distance, Nanami's father pushed Nanami and rolled himself into a ditch nearby as the shockwave approached. Whatever was materializing before him just seconds ago dispersed into disappearing wisps of black smoke.

Sesshomaru sprinted off at otherworldly speeds toward Nanami, leaving Vlad to the villagers once they came out of their fortified hide-out. Her father was looking around in awe and horror at the extent of the damage Sesshomaru had done. He glared at the young silver demon standing at the edge of the ditch. He was a far cry from the little boy he knew centuries ago, and more a nearly perfect mirror image of Inu no Taisho. Her father was not sure what to make of the man; Sesshomaru was the enemy, as far as he was told, yet after Vlad's behavior and the appearance of the black eyed man, he was even less supportive of their presence here. Nanami blinked slowly and woke up, cringing at the sharp pain in her stomach. The cut was not deep enough to do any fatal damage, barely missing slicing her abdominal cavity open, but it was very painful, it continued to bleed. The longer it was left untreated the more like she was to have it infected. She sat up cautiously and looked around. Sesshomaru jumped into the ditch, approaching her carefully. Nanami stared at him, unsure of what she was thinking. Sesshomaru took her right hand and slipped the black ring on her finger where it belonged. She looked at it for a moment, wondering how he got it back. Nanami glanced up and examined Sesshomaru. He was covered in blood. She could not tell wether it was his blood or the soldiers', but she knew it was likely the latter.

"We have to go back. I have to salvage the situation as much as I can and return the host back across the seas. I have to find that low-life governor and stop him from calling anymore troops into these lands, before we draw too much attention to ourselves." Nanami's father pleaded to his daughter. She stood up, holding on to Sesshomaru's arm, and suppressed an agonizing whine. Everything in her body ached painfully, as her power drained every bit of energy and strength she had. Sesshomaru took hold of her waist and wrapped one of her arms over his shoulders, and picked her up out of the ditch. She let go of Sesshomaru and turned toward her father, summoning all her strength to stand up straight, but he spoke to Sesshomaru instead.

"I trust you know I am taking a risk in assuming you are not a threat to her well being… at least, you are the lesser of two evils… I hope we can come to an agreement to avoid all out war. I see my daughter safe and sound back to me, and the surviving host leaves your shores, and I see to it that the captured ports are restored and rebuilt."

Nanami glared at her father, outraged at what he was implying. "Back? I'm going with-"

"I know you will be alright, you have a stronger guardian to protect you than I. Stay safe, and I will return shortly." Her father interjected, before directing his scrutinizing gaze to Sesshomaru.

"I am going against every paternal instinct … I'm praying my daughter is safer with you than she is with me… If I bring her with me, they will use her to continue the advance. I trust you've got at least some of your father in you. I keep my end of the deal, you keep yours."

"Stop the advance and retreat. Then there will be no war. She will be unharmed." Sesshomaru answered curtly.

"Father, I can't possibly-"

"Two days." Nanami's father said quietly and glanced at Sesshomaru, but said nothing more. Then he walked away in the direction where the soldiers marched from. Nanami watched her father, feeling miserable and shocked. Sesshomaru stepped in front of Nanami and gently tugged on her arm, so he could see her wound. She moved her arms slightly so they could examine the cut.

"It isn't deep but it could become infected." Sesshomaru announced quietly. He wasn't sure why Vlad inflicted such a mild wound at such a location. If he wanted to incapacitate her he should have aimed for paralyzing her limbs. Though of course he would not want to taint the woman who was supposed to come back with him.

"Come here." He tried to pull her closer to himself.

"That's not going to help." Nanami said coldly.

"I take it you want to walk to the old witch?" Sesshomaru said, a bit irritated. -Here we are once more.-

"So you holding me is going to get me there faster?"

Sesshomaru let out a small, threatening growl, and pulled her close to him, his arms holding her against his body.

"You have three sec-" Nanami began to protest, but was cut off short when she felt a rush of wind in her face and in the course of a mere minute, was lifted up off the ground several hundred feet, zoomed over a blur of lands, and plummeted back to the ground. She franticly pushed Sesshomaru and backed away a few steps, panting in fear.

"Do not ever, ever do that again!" She warned loudly. Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows a little.

"Or what?"

"I'll beat you with the closest blunt object I can find." She hissed and tried to stabilize her breathing by taking deep breaths. Sesshomaru smirked to himself. -Good luck with that.-

"Come." He said sternly. "You're still bleeding." He stretched out his hand, offering to pick her up and carry her, but she slapped it out of her way. She motioned with her head for him to keep walking. Nanami glared at him for a moment then followed him to a secluded cave. She could hear humming from the inside and a faint light seeping out of the darkness. Sesshomaru walked in and waited for Nanami to catch up.

"Can you walk alright?" He asked quietly.

"I walked this far, haven't I?"

"Barely."

"Until I can't stand at all, I do not need your support." Nanami announced proudly, and walked ahead down into the cave. Sesshomaru scowled. -That was not the case about four minutes ago.- Then he followed her.

The humming got louder and louder as Nanami and Sesshomaru approached the old witch, sitting in front of a fire, stirring some strange concoction in a pot in her lap.

"I knew you would be back. But I am surprised you are here for help, Nanami." The witch said, pointing a bent, wrinkled finger at her.

"And for good reason." Nanami said coldly, remembering the fight they had last time they saw each other.

"I thought you would have killed this demon by now, and be long gone from this country. So why are you here?"

Nanami moved her hands from her stomach, exposing the wound.

"Lie down." The witch announced to Nanami and pointed to a shabby mattress on the other side of the fire. Nanami walked over to it and looked at it in disgust. -Maybe there are lice on it...-

"It's clean, don't insult me." The witch announced as if she read the girl's mind. The old woman took the smelly concoction in the clay pot and wobbled over to Nanami, who was reluctantly laying down on the bed. -Why would she ask if she had known?- The young woman thought as she watched the witch stir her concoction.

"That. Take it off." The old woman motioned to Nanami's shirt.

"What?" Nanami asked loudly, slightly embarrassed. Sesshomaru sat down next to the fire cross-legged and examined his wound, pretending not to hear her.

"Just do it." The old woman began to get impatient. Nanami refused and just carefully pulled her clothes up to her chest, exposing nothing more than necessary. The old woman kept mumbling something as she wiped the blood away with a wet cloth, then covered the wound with the white liquid that smelled awfully like sake mixed with something else that Nanami could not figure out. She frowned from the smell and covered her nose. Sesshomaru looked as if he was going to be sick and glared at the fire motionlessly, cursing his sensitive sense of smell.

"You're done." The witch wheezed.

"That's it?You're not sewing the wound closed?" Nanami was surprised, until the poultice began to burn like hell. She grit her teeth and squeezed the sheets as hard as she could. The witch handed her a cup of tea that was standing on a small table behind the mattress. Nanami smelled it to make sure nothing was wrong with it and took a sip.

"Just wait for it to dry then you two buffoons in denial can go take a warm bath together." The old hag sneered, making Sesshomaru's eyes widen and jaw tighten, and all the tea in Nanami's mouth ended up next to the mattress and she was choking.

"Your sense of humor is-" Nanami protested, but was interrupted by the old woman.

"Denial." She said, moving her index finger back and forth, as if telling 'no' to a child. She walked up to Sesshomaru with the sake remedy. He eyed it nervously, his nose telling him that he will regret that treatment. He glared at the witch, then took off his armor, followed by his kimono. Nanami blushed and turned to face the wall as soon as she saw Sesshomaru looking at her. From the short glimpse she had caught, he had a statuesque form as she had not seen in years. He was perfect. Muscular, sculpted, like a man that couldn't exist. Several scars marked his body, testaments to his endeavors, whether they be for selfish or selfless gains.

The witch rinsed the wound near his collar bone with water, humming off tune, making Sesshomaru scowl once in a while. When she reached for the sake potion, Sesshomaru stopped her and grabbed the dagger that was on the floor next to a pile of herbs and held it over the fire.

"Men... always have to do it their way." The witch grumbled and glared at Sesshomaru. Nanami turned slightly to look at what she meant. Her eyes contoured Sesshomaru's powerful arms, neck and shoulders. She remembered her foolish young self, centuries ago, thinking there was never a man more perfect. Yet he managed just that. Physically at least, the rest of him was a nightmare.

"That concoction you have will undoubtedly make me impaired." He said in his irresistible deep voice. Nanami mentally slapped herself for her thoughts.

Sesshomaru pulled out the scorching, red tipped dagger and pressed it against his wound. Nanami frowned as if in pain just from watching. He shut his eyes and grit his teeth, fangs bared. The knife sizzled for about ten seconds before Sesshomaru removed it.

He had a few minor wounds on his sides and arms, but none as deep as the arrow pierced. After an entire lecture from the witch, he finally let her treat the deeper wound on his side.

"That's it. Now scram out of here. Both of you. I do not want to be here for what you two will do next." The old woman smacked Sesshomaru's shoulder, making him frown.

"But... what about this?" Nanami frowned at her tummy.

"I told you, take a nice, relaxing bath once it starts crumbling and just wash it off. Trust me, it will help... Now get out. I don't want to be in the middle of one of your brawls and then get blamed for it." The witch sat down on her spot in front of the fire. Sesshomaru glanced at Nanami and dressed himself. She fixed her clothing and stood up, leaving without a word. Sesshomaru followed her and walked out of the warm cave into the cold night.

"Where to now, this far out in the storm?" Nanami grumbled angrily. Sesshomaru glanced at her.

"You are nearer to your home now than you were this morning."

Nanami glared at him... for about a whole minute. She was hoping he would not have thought of that and would have went his separate way anyway. He did nothing but stare back at her. Nanami bit her lower lip, wishing she could just vanish into thin air. Finally she dropped her arms and sighed. She closed her eyes and shook her head prior to looking at Sesshomaru.

"This doesn't change anything." She finally snarled and walked briskly in a general direction toward her mansion, ignoring the burning of her wound. Sesshomaru scoffed to himself and walked behind her. -It already has, Nanami...-


	9. Snared

Hours later, Nanami walked up the stairs to her distant home, shrouded with a thick layer of snow. She opened the large doors into the mansion and let a breath of fresh air in. She waved her hand over the wax string on the stone shelf, lighting it on fire, glad to have her useful little weapon back. She took off her boots and walked into the main room, now lit up and much more pristine and comfortable than two hundred years ago. Nanami approached the fire pit, leaving the doors wide open behind her, expecting Sesshomaru to take that as an invitation. He walked in reluctantly, shutting the screen doors to the howling wind behind him.

Sesshomaru watched Nanami closely, her every move bringing back memories of their youth. He wished he wouldn't have known who she was; everything would have been more simple had she stayed as another nuisance in Inuyasha's group, had she never been found by Ryuu. Sesshomaru would never had gone through all he had to chase after this nightmare of a woman. But he did know her, and no matter how much easier the alternate path seemed, he couldn't bear the thought of losing her again. He wanted to hold her all night and day, listen to her breathe, to hear her talk with him without making rude or cold comments, yet he didn't even care what she said to him, as long as she said anything.

A fire blazed instantaneously as Nanami stepped up to the fire pit to warm her chilled bones.

"Stop staring at me." She declared loudly, irritated and uncomfortable with her present company.

"You stare at me. So why can't I look at you?" Sesshomaru teased in his cold tone, taking off his armor, fur pelt and boots, leaving them all in the genkan. He was still covered in blood and it was starting to get on his nerves. He also felt a little dizzy and a bit feverish from the sake paste rubbed onto his side in a thick layer. Nanami turned around, aggravated, hands on her hips.

"Well, look then..." She mocked him, standing motionlessly. "Have you had your fill yet?"

Sesshomaru smirked and walked up to her, inspecting her foreign face a little bit longer. She did not avert her eyes, though they glanced down once at his lips to see if he was smiling or not, at least... that's what she told herself as a reason for looking at his lips.

"Have you?" He asked her. Her eyes squinted for a second then returned to normal, glaring at him coldly. She slipped off the fur coat from her shoulders and threw it on the nearest ottoman.

"Considering all you have done to me... you should not even be here. You will speak to me when I let you speak with me, look at m-"

"Do I have your permission to stop dripping blood and wash it off, or am I confined to some dark corner to reek of sake and blood such as yourself?" Sesshomaru interrupted. Nanami's eyes flickered with fury like the flames.

"Oh, your Lordship wants a bath, is that it?" Nanami snarled and shoved Sesshomaru down the hall. "The nerve on you to command me around and interrupt me in my own home! And to top it off you insult me! Well - I'll give you a damn bath, you selfish son of a bitch!" She hissed in her accented speech as she pushed him several times until he was in the central room with the spring. The steam from the water melted away the white flakes streaming in from the opening in the roof. Sesshomaru just watched in amusement and allowed her to push him where ever she wanted. He found himself delighted by her lightly rolled r's and clearly pronounced t's.

"Why are you smiling, you bipolar mongrel?!" Nanami shoved Sesshomaru into the spring and jumped in herself, holding him underwater. "Smile now, cretin." She said as she struggled to keep him under. His hands grabbed the back of her knees and pulled her legs out from under her. She let out a short scream and went underwater while Sesshomaru stood up. Nanami rose from the spring, a soaked fuming mess.

"I will kill you." She growled and tackled Sesshomaru, the water slowing her advance. She swung at him furiously, missing every other time. Sesshomaru caught her fist and twisted her arm around herself, pressing her against his chest.

"Is that so?… And how do you propose you will do that?" He said in a soft whisper. Nanami growled and elbowed Sesshomaru in his stomach. He let her go and she ran out of the spring, dripping water, the clothes sticking to her body tightly. Sesshomaru dove across the spring and grabbed Nanami by her ankle, pulling her back into the water. He spun her around so that she would face him.

"Let go!" Nanami shouted, splashing water in his face. Sesshomaru closed his eyes in time and turned his face away from the spray, but still held on. He turned back and let out an irritated growl, switching his grip from Nanami's ankle to her shirt and pulling her up next to him. She kept slapping him with her hands and protesting with indiscernible insults. His arms wrapped around her waist and back while she struggled to get out of his grip. Sesshomaru could not hold himself back any longer. Two hundred years of warring with the woman was enough. Nanami's hands pushed on his chest, trying to distance herself before she was in his his arms completely, but Sesshomaru was much stronger. He pressed her body close against his and leaned in, resting his forehead on hers. Nanami's curses and harsh words were reduced to a whisper of indistinguishable sounds. Water dripped from Sesshomaru's face and hair, some drops landing on Nanami's chest and shoulders. No more sounds came out of her, and she realized how close to him she was, that her hands were touching his bare chest. Her eyes were fixed on his closed ones. Then he gently pressed his lips against hers, his heart racing, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Her lips were soft and tasted sweeter with every kiss, lighting his skin on fire.

Nanami's hands crept up his firm chest to his neck, her thumbs brushing past his jaw as she kissed him back, instinctively pressing herself closer against his body. She felt as if she was running at full speed down a steep slope. -"I had to do what I needed to get your power out of Tsuneo's grasp. Even stoop so low as to lie." - Sesshomaru's voice resonated in her mind. - Why should now be any different?- Nanami doubted Sesshomaru's affection... again. She pushed away and took his hands off of herself, getting out of the spring as fast as she could. She snatched two towels and quickly left the room, her wet clothes and hair sticking uncomfortably to her figure.

Sesshomaru remained in the spring, staring into the hallway. The reality of her hatred for him began to settle in. It wasn't merely a grudge. -You made her suffer for two centuries... It is amazing she even lives in the same lands as you, imbecile. You cannot expect her to make the decision you want her to make. She's not like others, she's not a pathetic weakling with a feeble mind.- Sesshomaru was torn about what to do. He splashed water on his face and ran his hands through his hair, staring at the floor of the spring. -I'm not yours, she said... maybe... you don't want to be mine... you never did...-

Nanami was sitting on a fur throw next to the only glass window in the mansion. She was in a room she had designated for herself in the past three months, and it was the least Japanese styled chamber. It used to be the library; the two story walls had inlaid, beautifully carved shelves, stuffed with books from many nations and cultures, scrolls, scripture and various artifacts. In the middle of the shelved wall was a fireplace, with a fire burning. On the opposite side of the room was a large, cherrywood bed with gold and burgundy pillows, sheets, blanket and silk 'curtains' covering and hanging from the canopy. A like desk and chair stood near the window, with a large, framed map on the wall to the side of it. Many tapestries and decorative wall rugs hung on the walls, along with oil lamps and a large, round, Italian clock above the fireplace.

Nanami sat on the floor, wrapped in the long towel, her clothes drying in front of the fire. The window stuck out of the facade two feet, overhanging the garden below, and there was a low platform with the fur throw. It did not match the architecture of the mansion - in fact it looked downright odd - but her father had it built specifically for her when she was a child. She leaned against one of the walls that led to the window, one of her legs on the floor, bent at the knee, her heel touching the opposite hip. Her second leg was also bent, her head resting on the knee. Nanami was staring out the window with teary eyes, a dark glass bottle in her hand. She sighed heavily, and took a sip of the red wine, hoping to calm her nerves enough to sleep. - Congratulations on falling for a self absorbed demon who doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself, and still staying with him. Hmmm... And to think I promised to kill him the next time I saw him...-

There was a knock on the door, making Nanami roll her eyes. "You are more than welcome to stay as far away from me as you can." She said coldly, and took another gulp of the wine. The door opened anyway, and Sesshomaru walked into the room. He had his winter kimono undershirt on and his pants seemed to be dry. Nanami could not deny that he looked like a god; tall, silver haired, with piercing amber eyes, sculpted body, and a stoic face. But his looks were no where near the representation of his personality and brutal behavior. Nanami turned away and continued to stare out the window. She realized that she had nothing but a towel wrapped around herself. She pulled the towel lower, and glared at Sesshomaru as he walked up to the window and looked out. Then he glanced down at the woman and kneeled next to her. She turned away from him again, tightening her fingers over the cloth around her. There was a moment of silence between them, then Sesshomaru took the wine bottle from her hand, setting it down on the floor as he looked at her.

"When will you stop staring at me?" Nanami asked, still facing away.

"When I can no longer see." Sesshomaru answered and looked at the bottle. It was almost full - she had hardly touched it. He frowned and looked back up at Nanami, the scar from the claw mark he inflicted on her months ago catching his eye. He saw her jaw tighten and her eyes stare desolately out the window, and the sight made him burn on the inside. He kneeled next to her, his large hand wrapped around her arm, his thumb brushing the length of the scar.

"I apologize…" He whispered. Nanami closed her eyes and held her tongue. -Turns out he can say sorry…-

"I beg you." Sesshomaru placed a soft kiss on her smooth shoulder, making her cringe. "I will do anything for you. Just tell me what you want, I will get it, I shall do it."

"I told you already. I will never forgive you." Nanami began wondering how much the sake paste clouded his mind.

"I cannot change the past. You know that. Even if you don't forgive me for my prior mistakes, don't curse me for the future."

"I am not cursing you."

"You are." Sesshomaru tried desperately to make her at least look at him.

"So what if I was?" Nanami said coldly. Sesshomaru kept his gaze on her for a moment.

"Do you want me gone?" He leaned back and asked.

"That should be obvious."

"Dead?" Sesshomaru asked quietly. Nanami did not answer him for a while. He rubbed her soft skin with his thumb, awaiting her answer.

"Yes." She said quietly. Sesshomaru froze in place, not expecting her to be so blunt and assured. He removed his hand from her arm. She didn't even look at him.

"There cannot be a grudge against the dead." She added in a melancholy tone. Sesshomaru felt as if there was nothing left of him except a hollow shell. The only woman that knew the Sesshomaru under the cold exterior, the only woman that managed to turn the most powerful demon in Japan into a hopeless man begging for forgiveness, the only one that drove him to the edge of insanity, turned his life inside out, the only person in the known world Sesshomaru trusted and coveted just admitted to wishing him dead. Nanami undid the cold, calculating Sesshomaru, and yet now she razed whoever he had become ever since.

"So be it." Sesshomaru announced and stood up, walking out of the bedroom. Nanami managed to uphold her cold, ruthless façade until he left the room. Then she bolted up when she heard something crash against the wall. She ran out of the room toward the sound, holding the towel in place. Sesshomaru had broken a Venetian glass vase against the wall and headed toward his sword, knocking over a few more glasses and pottery. He grabbed his sword and turned toward Nanami.

"What-what are you doing?!" Nanami panicked but tried to keep her cool.

"Gaining your forgiveness. Keeping my promise. Anything you say, I do. So dead it is..." Sesshomaru said, scowling, and began to dress himself. Nanami stood silently, uncertain of what he meant.

"Where are you going?" She asked again, not knowing what else she could have said. His amber eyes flashed at her.

"Stopping the incursion. Maybe your wish would be granted and I'll be gone by morning." He spoke as if the words had no weight to them - no meaning.

"You know that's folly." She wouldn't believe he would be foolish enough to pass up the opportunity to resolve the situation as quietly as possible. "You'll only incur more attacks, sieges, poverty in your ports and ruin trade. Surely you can understand the repercussions of your actions!"

Sesshomaru growled bitterly and towered over Nanami. "Better cut any ties with you I can than to deal with this over and over again. I die or you all die."

-He's lost it…- Nanami was at a loss for words, utterly fearing his actions. -He can't do this… He'll imperil everything. -

Not receiving a reaction from her, Sesshomaru continued to retrieve his belongings and dress. Nanami cringed and bit her lower lip, hoping her haphazard plan would work. She ripped the armor out of his hands and threw it on the ground, followed by his sword. He had enough time to furrow his brow, but nothing more, before her hands caressed his face and her lips found his. She coaxed him into the kiss, waiting to feel his arms wrapped around her, but he did nothing. Nanami pulled away, apprehensive of the possible backfire she may have brought upon herself. Sesshomaru presumed he'd elicit some sort of reaction from her, but he did not expect anything so brazen.

"Is this one of your short term decisions? Will you change your mind again in a few minutes?" He asked coldly.

"No," was all she managed before she kissed him again. His hand found the back of her neck and pulled her away.

"What are you doing?"

-Salvaging the situation.- But instead Nanami answered, "What you want."

"Stop, Nanami."

The light from the fire danced in her gray eyes, their depths and beauty bewitching. He knew she was up to something, but he had an overwhelming desire to not care and fall for whatever she had in store.

"I don't want to. I may be giving you all the more reason to hate me… but I'm not letting you go." She beguiled him deftly. -You're not the only one good at this game, Sesshomaru.-

He watched her cautiously, grappling with his thoughts and what action to take. - Hate you… More than anything in this world... Because you make me the most miserable without you. Because you make me go to great lengths just so I know no other man can harm you or have you. What have you done to me?-

"Yet you wish me dead." Sesshomaru noted.

"No grudge against the dead. Dead is dead. Resolved. But you ARE alive. So stay alive. I do not want you dead on my account."

Sesshomaru's jaw tensed and he lifted her chin up, trying to find truth in those eyes. "I'll ask again, what are you doing?"

"Then I'll answer again… Stopping you. Keeping you with me… It would be easier if you were gone, if we never crossed paths, but clearly that is not faring as well as we would both hope. Then maybe I should not run from you." Nanami mumbled, wondering how true her own words were. "Maybe I should not send you away."

She could see the skepticism in his eyes, and yet there also was a faint glimmer of hope that she was sincere. He contemplated for a few short moments before evidently giving in. His hand slipped to the back of Nanami's neck, his fingers tightening. -Even if this is a ruse, she might not be able to walk out of this as heartlessly as she thinks.-

Sesshomaru gave her a slow kiss, accepting her words without trusting them entirely. Nanami snaked her hands up his sides to the back of his shoulders, embracing him so genuinely. Sesshomaru kissed her more passionately, relishing her now racing pulse as his other arm wrapped around her waist. But the more he caressed her, the more his own heart hammered, and all he could think was how no woman should have sinfully sweet kisses such as she had. He began to realize he was only falling for her more, knowing this would only turn into a more complicated, painful plight than it was already was. Yet he did not wish to bring himself to stop, nor to think rationally. So he held her closer as she kissed him eagerly.

Sesshomaru's hands traced the curves of Nanami's flawless body. It seemed like they were made to fit perfectly in his hands. -You are mine... Mine forever... No other can have you... - Sesshomaru repeated in his mind, hoping somehow that would make it true. He kissed the nape of her neck, then her collarbone, savoring her delicate scent, and her every sigh making him crave more. Nanami pushed him against the wall, kissing him ardently. Her hands grasped and pulled apart his white undershirt.

Sesshomaru heard faint steps and shuffling outside the mansion entrance, but chose to ignore the intruder in favor of Nanami's uncharacteristic affection. Loud banging ensued, the prowler thrashing his fist against the door.

The sudden racket made Nanami jolt out of Sesshomaru's arms and clutch her towel tight around herself. She nearly tripped as she bolted toward her chambers, sidestepping the broken pottery and glass. Sesshomaru grimaced, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. The intruder kept pounding away expectantly. Sesshomaru stormed over to the door, looking irritated enough to snap the stranger's neck. Fuming more than hell, he slammed the door open.

Ryuu jumped into the main room without asking permission. "What took you so long?"

"Why are you here?" Sesshomaru all but shouted.

"Glad to see you too, jerk." Ryuu hissed, taking off his dark, navy blue winter coat. He wore a black and deep purple kimono under it. He hung the coat on the rack in the genkan, then turned suddenly, inspecting the shattered glass on the floor.

"What's going on?" He asked, noting Sesshomaru's disheveled and frayed appearance.

"I will ask you again, why are you here?" Sesshomaru was blowing off steam, furious with the ruin of his short-lived, intimate moment. Ryuu kept peering into the hallway, as if he hoped to catch a glimpse of something.

"What the hell happened here? Where's the broad?" Ryuu questioned. Sesshomaru growled and grabbed Ryuu by the neck, shoving him against the wall.

"Try and call her that again..." He snarled. "Now, why are you here?"

"Fine, I was just fooling around... What's going on, what's with the seize and the foreigners?" Ryuu spat out. There was a creak in the floor and both men turned toward the sound.

Nanami was walking toward them, barefoot, wearing a simple silk burgundy kimono. "Have they stopped their advance?"

"Well, hello beautiful!" Ryuu wolf-whistled, making Sesshomaru's nerves stand on edge. He slammed the man against the wall once more.

"Focus." Sesshomaru hissed.

"It seems like it… They've taken to the three villages, fortifying themselves. Yet nothing seems to be happening. Half the force seems to be readying the ships, while the other is building up defenses."

Nanami swallowed a lump in her throat. She looked at Sesshomaru with nervous eyes. -Has my father succeeded?-

"I have to go, Sesshomaru. I have to put them in the right place. I have to help my father." Nanami said quickly.

"And if they won't heed your bidding?"

"They will. I will make them if I have to. They would have continued the advance if they were hellbent on this invasion."

"How would you know they're not simply waiting for orders? Or recuperating from the initial attack?"

"I know. They wouldn't send all in at once, there would be a force of soldiers held back incase the first wave fails. They are not recuperating. The first wave was destroyed, by your own hand, yet they aren't advancing again."

"And if you succeed… what then?" The question weighed heavy on his mind, the unspoken answer terrifying him.

"Then I will return." Nanami lied, hoping she was convincing enough. "If I am able to stop them. If I fail, I do not know what will happen."

Ryuu had situated himself in one of the velvet arm chairs by the fire, glancing around the room and its oddities. He drummed his fingers on the arms as he stretched his feet out toward the flames.

"Give me two days." Nanami muttered. "If they attack again and I am not back, come find me."

Ryuu cleared his throat, reminding the two of his presence. Nanami turned to glower mercilessly at him, looking a bit too comfortable in the chair.

"Get out of my house." She bristled, memory of his kidnapping act clear in her mind.

Ryuu gaped at her, offended. "Gracious host…" He grumbled sarcastically and lazily stood up from the chair. "Will you not even let me warm my hands by the fire for an hour?"

Nanami pointed at him threateningly, repeating "Get out of my house." Then she disappeared into the hall, her soft steps receding into the farthest rooms. Sesshomaru watched her in silence, before Ryuu's whistle drew him out of his thoughts.

"Hasn't changed a bit, has she?" The purple eyed intruder remarked.

"Ryuu..."

"What?" Ryuu's cringed when he saw the demon's irritated glare.

"How would you like to pass to the Netherworld?" Sesshomaru asked coldly.

"Haha... you always had an... interesting sense of humor, my dear Sessho-" Ryuu chuckled but was interrupted by the crack of Sesshomaru's knuckles.

"oh...maru... Right... things definitely haven't changed."

"I recall her telling you to leave."

"Ordering… Ordering me to leave… And I will. Eventually." Rye stretched and glared down at the fire. "But first… last time I saw, she absolutely despised every fiber of your being. So how is it that now she's going to return to you when her own flesh and blood is here to whisk her away back home?"

Sesshomaru's gaze would have caused death to cringe. "This doesn't concern you."

"Right… I know you remember everything that happened that morning two hundred years ago. You shunned her, I protected her, I kept her safe after you left… at least until she fled these lands. You saw me as a traitor when I was merely taking advantage of the situation. You threw away the opportunity to be with her, and I found it."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"You're a man, Sesshomaru, yet you don't know what you want. And you do not know what you're doing. You-"

"I do not need to be lectured by you, Ryuu. The conflict between Nanami and I is ours to solve and ours alone. Do not waste your time meddling in it."

"As you please, but I hope, for Nanami's sake, you know exactly what you're doing. If you screw up this time, she may not be yours after all." Ryuu warned in a low growl and stormed out of the mansion, furious with the mending of their bond… or so it seemed to be mending. He cursed, the howling wind silencing his words. He felt as if all his hopes of being with the girl that he had loved since he was a boy were shattered and thrown back at his face. He felt wronged, somehow, even though he knew that Sesshomaru cherished Nanami more than anything, ever since they were children. Ryuu thought that two centuries of their isolation from each other would draw them too far apart to become close once more, that their memories would only serve to deepen their hatred, but now he realized he was wrong. Once the two crossed each others paths, it all started again. Nanami had the hearts of three men in her hands, but hers belonged to one; the one she was forbidden to, the one most dangerous. In Ryuu's mind, all reason suggested they were too volatile to ever be a pair. Even now, Sesshomaru retrieves Nanami back to Japan, and in doing so, starts a war. -She's not his yet...-

Nanami changed into warm, black winter pants, a close fitting, double lined gray shirt with long sleeves and that tied up in strings along her sides. Her fingers deftly twisted her hair into a five strand braid as she listened to the silence in the rest of the house. She could no longer hear the faint murmur of the two men and figured it was a good a time as ever to make her leave. She stepped out into the main room and headed straight for the fur cloak she threw onto the ottoman. Sesshomaru stood facing the dancing flames within the fire pit, arms crossed, fully dressed in his armor and fur pelt on his shoulder.

"You cannot come with me." Nanami eyed him warily.

"I will only shorten your journey."

"Too great a risk." Nanami slipped into her long fur coat, adjusting the fur lining her sleeves.

"Wouldn't they already know you were with me?"

Nanami walked past the man and stepped into her winter boots. "Too great a risk." She reiterated, knowing Sesshomaru did not want to let her out of his sight. He didn't trust her, and for good reason. She slung two swords over her back, securing the straps over her shoulders.

"Two days, Sesshomaru. That is all I ask… Please." Nanami pleaded in front of the door. She could see the mistrust and apprehension roiling in his eyes. -He knows…-

Sesshomaru didn't press the issue further and walked out of the house first. Yet before he crossed the threshold, he grabbed Nanami by her arm and leapt into the air. Within mere seconds he plummeted to the ground several miles away from the main occupied village. He spun Nanami out in front of him as she was cursing away under her breath and shaking worse than a leaf in the wind.

"One day." Sesshomaru uttered as he held her by her jaw. And just as fast, he disappeared. Nanami stood awestruck in the snow, heart still pounding from the expedited journey. She panted a few moments, taking deep breaths to settle herself. -One day… One day and I will be on my way home…- She looked about, establishing her sense of direction before treading the snow to the nearest village, hoping it was the same one her father was in.

Nanami approached the largest of the villages, a cluster of weathered buildings scattered about the rocky shoreline, surrounding the only stretch of calm beach for miles. Sharpened pikes surrounded the city, archers perched along the walls and soldiers were posted behind the fortifications and in front of the village gates. Nanami heard the arrows being nocked as soon as she stepped into view. She pulled down her hood and put her hands up in the air as a sign of surrender. Nonetheless several arrows submerged into the snow before her feet the moment she took another step. -Effective…-

"Don't shoot!" Nanami yelled, her hands still up in the air. She hoped her name and purpose would grant her passage, yet another round of arrows hissed down to her feet.

"Don't move!" One of the guards yelled down at her from the walls. -They do not know what their leader's daughter looks like. They're not my father's men.-

"Open the gates, I'm part of the reason you are here." Nanami waited patiently while her message was being relayed behind the walls. After a short while, she heard the creaking groan of the gates opening. Nanami lowered her hands and stepped forward, only to hear the throng of arrows being loosed. Her patience dissipated and she didn't hold back her defense, setting the shafts ablaze midair. Ashes showered down to her feet.

"Stop wasting arrows." Nanami shouted assertively. She would have threatened them further but the outcome of her situation depended too much on her tactfulness. One of the guards approached her, armor clad and his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Follow me, my Lady." He addressed Nanami and waited for her to pass through the gates.

The town was not as pillaged and ravaged as she feared. Most of the buildings remained intact, save for some doors that were shattered. There were no villagers in sight, yet faint glimmers of light emanated from cracks and windows of homes. Closer to the beach, a dozen tents have been raised, with the largest in the center. The reticent guard led Nanami to the main pavilion, allowing her to pass by the four guards circling around it.

There were three men in the tent, towering over a large table with stacks of maps and parchment. Aside from the table, there were three cots separated by screens. Her father stood between the other two men, now gawking at her. One of them was near her father's age, with short brown hair and green eyes, thin lips and a straight nose. He was wearing armor and a sable fur pelt. The other was much younger, with short jet black hair and bright blue eyes. He had very broad shoulders but was of a shorter stature than his colleagues.

"Who the hell is this? Who let her through?" The older man grumbled. Nanami's eyes narrowed. -Not the smooth start I was hoping for. -

"That's my daughter, Dmitri." Her father announced and returned to the paperwork on the table. Dmitri's eyes seemed to pop out of his head.

"That's her?!" The man asked, motioning to her with her hand. "So we can go home now?"

"Not quite." Her father answered. "She may have been what I came for… but it seems our associates had ulterior motives, as I've explained."

"They may have misinformed you about their intentions… and their grievances." Nanami cut in. All three men looked at her.

"Why these lands? I thought we came for you?" The younger man asked. He had arrived just minutes before Nanami and hence was less informed than his elder.

"No, the governor came for the ports, trade routes and subsequent riches, not for me. He doesn't even know me. What daft fool would risk war across seas in the middle of winter for one person? Vlad and his co-conspirator… the black eyed demon you saw today, father… they attacked me, attempting to stop me from leaving. Vlad was wounded by the Lord of these lands, who came for me three months ago and helped me escape. Vlad's uncle used the conflict between his nephew and Sesshomaru as a cover to take over the lands. He must have figured that Sesshomaru's standing would be weakened with his disappearance and it was the perfect time to strike. He was wrong, and completely underestimated this venture. It would be absolute suicide, as the decimation of his force proved. Not to mention the hot water it would land us into."

"Where is Sesshomaru now?" Her father asked, seeing clearly through Nanami's cautious, logical appeal. She held back the main reason she didn't want all out war - Sesshomaru's safety and position as the Lord of the West.

"He is-" Nanami began but had no correct answer. "Awaiting our action."

"This is too costly of a gamble. If he wants to conquer far off foreign lands, unwilling to open their borders as it is, he can do it himself with whatever meagre force he has. Not to mention this being November. The way home will be treacherous enough… We must set out promptly." Dmitri seemed to care less for any far fetched conquests and yearned to be home.

"So we are in agreement?" Nanami's father looked to each of his associates. Dmitri simply nodded and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at Nanami.

"We should direct our attention to the threats within our own borders… there are plenty. This encroachment is folly." The younger sullen man muttered.

Nanami let out a heartfelt sigh of relief. - Father couldn't have more agreeable commanders. This was almost too easy.-

"It is settled then… prepare for the long voyage home." Her father sent the younger man out with several mandates; leaving a small contingent behind to rebuild the damaged buildings, preparation of the ships, disassembly of the camp, etc.

Nanami could not rid herself of the uneasy feeling gnawing away at her bones. The agreement to leave seemed too straightforward and indisputable. -Even if my father had managed to convince them all before I arrived. - She watched carefully as Dmitri set three glasses on the table, holding the one designated for Nanami in his other hand. He poured a deep red wine into each goblet, speaking of home. He handed Nanami's goblet to her, taking a sip of his own wine. As hard as he may have tried, he watched too eagerly for Nanami to drink her fill. Nanami let hardly a sip of the burgundy liquid past her lips. -This WAS too easy… They are up to something… this isn't just wine in my cup.- Nanami was unsure whether she was being paranoid and overreacting or if she had just foiled some secret scheme her father had hatched.

But before Nanami could investigate further, one of the guards bolted in, shock in his eyes.

"My Lords, our scouts have spotted three ships moored in the adjacent bay. They fly no colors, nor have they sent any envoys."

Nanami was first to leave the tent and head to the location where the ships were spotted. Her father and Dmitri followed behind her, along with several guards. Dmitri called for archers and reinforcements. She reached the top of the cliff that overlooked the bay and was greeted by an arrow that would have pierced her shoulder had she not moved in time. She frowned and sought out the archer.

Nanami's eyes widened in disbelief as soon as she recognized the shooter, standing on the deck of the closest ship. The archer lowered the billowing hood of the cape and smiled maliciously. Nanami looked on dumbfounded, temporarily paralyzed.

"Maria?"

Nanami turned and swiftly made her way down the steep cliff to the beach, as Maria disembarked from the ship. The guards and Nanami's father followed in her steps.

"What a pleasant sight, Zhanna-oh, wait... I forgot. Nanami, was it?" Maria's voice boomed across the howl of the frigid wind as she strutted toward the honey haired woman, a pleased smile plastered on her face. Nanami scowled and her fists tensed.

"So what's in this for you... Maria? What's your motive? Money? Lust?" Nanami growled so coldly that it made the winter wind shudder.

Maria's smile vanished and she lowered her bow. "My future."

"Please, do enlighten me."

"It's amazing what one would do to have their dream become a reality, darling. You and I are not that close... I feel no guilt whatsoever in confessing all you have spilled to me on that boat to a very well-paying candidate in this war. So you are partially correct… Money, lands and a wealthy marriage. A secure future for me and my prospective sons."

"You have no chance against me." Nanami warned.

"I do not need to. I'm here to watch my reward materialize." Maria said indifferently and brushed her long nails against her rugged leather vest. "I simply needed to get them here, to you."

"This may have been amusing if this 'candidate' of yours did not underestimate me." Nanami glowered at the woman, irritated and betrayed. Soldiers filed out of the ships.

"Huh." Maria scoffed, still focused on her nails. "Your watchdog is not here to protect you, Zhanna-can I just call you that? I see no point in learning your name anyway. "

"Unfortunately for you, he is not here, so there would be no one to stop me from getting my vengeance." Nanami slipped her sword out in front of her.

"How? Distracting you and shattering your focus with his looks?" Maria blew on her fingers.

"I am glad you still haven't lost your sense of accuracy." Nanami retorted ascetically. "I would say we should settle this like dignified equals but that would be ill-judged."

"Hmm… On that we agree. We are not equals. Maybe you have forgotten your roots... You don't belong here... with these... wretches. You abandoned your people. I'm simply doing the honorable thing here, so let's not fuss about it, shall we?" Maria chirped, taking her time, approaching Nanami with a barricade of soldiers.

"Since when has the meaning of honor changed to that of greed?" Nanami snarled back.

"Enough chit-chat. I'm getting tired of this useless banter. The weather is foul and I'd prefer to be done with this charade." Maria announced and snapped her fingers. Five soldiers stepped forward in front of Maria and drew their swords. Nanami glared at them and forcefully stuck her sword into the frigid sand, waiting for the confused soldiers to make their move.

"You really think that's a good idea?" Maria crossed her arms and frowned.

Nanami awarded her an offended look. "I did mention we are not equals. Not for your reasons."

Maria just snapped her fingers and a soldier in a black face-mask stepped toward Nanami warily, and effortlessly, almost as if he was just playing with it, swung the sword at the woman. Nanami absolutely despised being underestimated, especially when she took the time to fight fairly, instead of just torching everything to hell. She moved faster than the soldier could react, knocking the sword out of his hand and planting her knuckles into his throat. The soldier fell down to the ground, making abominable gurgling and choking noises.

Nanami's eyes seemed to slaughter all the cockiness of the soldiers, and made Maria back up a few steps.

"You'll have to do better than that... " Nanami snapped. "Come to think of it... I hardly moved and he's sprawled in the sand... times certainly have changed... when my father was in control of all empire forces, our army was undefeatable. This... sorry band of lanky boys would barely pass as guard of some ghost town." Nanami walked up to the soldiers, her commanding aura overwhelming, and ripped their masks off their faces. They stood and stared at her angrily, but did nothing. They were too young, Nanami noted, too inexperienced and undertrained.

From behind the crowd of soldiers came loud claps. "Bravo..." A man's voice growled as he emerged from the ship. He was tall and massive, with very pale green eyes that sent chills up one's spine. Nanami looked past the soldiers' heads at the towering man approaching her. He was undoubtably very handsome, with chiseled features and very masculine figure. Nanami scowled a bit, wondering who the man was.

"So... after all this time, I find what rightfully belongs to me... I find what truly should be in my possession." His voice echoed as he finally stopped in front of Nanami.

"That useless speech would be more effective if I knew who you were." Nanami retorted coldly, presuming him to be another suitor.

"Foolish girl. You do not know who you are. You were led to believe that that power you behold has been in your bloodline for centuries... Not quite. Your mother did not even come from the bloodline you think. Your lineage had nothing to do with 'your' power.-"

"And who would you be, knowing all you do about my family?"

"I am the son the guardian shunned and denied his rightful gift to. I am the true guardian, but without the treasure to guard. I was next in line to be the protector. Not you. You ripped my life from me. Stole it before either of us could even talk... A charlatan in place of the true-blooded descendent. And why?" The man grumbled and towered over Nanami. She was't buying any of it and glared at him, refusing to shrink away. Something blurred her vision, but she shrugged it off and refocused her attention.

"It must have been a very long trip here for you to come up with that theory..."

"What blind confidence... Didn't it ever occur to you that you're not even related to the previous guardian? Isn't the power descended through family?"

Nanami froze in place. She had never thought about it. She believed that the old witch was someone like an instructor to the power, she completely ignored the old woman's comment about being the previous guardian a few months back. -It skips generations. My grandfather held the power, but it he was gone before I was old enough to walk.- Nanami's commanding aura diminished to one of anxious fear. Her vision blurred again, her lids heavy. Nanami blinked and breathed deep, grabbing her sword out of the sand. Yet her body grew tired and her limbs heavy. Her eyes glimpsed a huddled old woman, bundled in furs, treading her way heavily through the snow. Afterward the world went black.


	10. No More

The snow blanketed the forest, each tree enveloped in white. The only sound was the falling snow itself; the woods were a perfect vision of serenity. Yet Sesshomaru was anything but calm under his aloof exterior. He made his way through the trees, following the line of the coast several miles out. His instincts and his pride grappled with each other; he knew Nanami would not return, no matter how convincing her deception was, and yet he refused to chase after her. It was senseless to bring her back if she had no desire to remain here. And if she were back, what then? Sesshomaru did not allow his mind to wander and centered his attention back to Nanami's departure. His intuition was rattling his composure, pushing him to venture closer to the main village. Sesshomaru could hear commotion, shouting and the clamor of a small battle. He remained in the cover of the tree line and followed the sounds to where they were coming from.

The chilled sand scratched at Nanami's cheek as she regained consciousness. Her eyes blinked weakly as she took in the sight before her. Her father's guards were overwhelmed and slaughtered. Dmitri was nowhere to be seen with the reinforcements. Nanami shook off the grogginess and brought herself up to her knees in the cold sand. The old witch was bloodied and bound, one of the stranger's soldiers behind her with a spear pointed to her back. Nanami watched as her father fought off the soldiers advancing toward her; several lay dead at his feet, but his strength was failing him. There were simply too many. Nanami struggled to stand and reached for her sword.

"Don't move." A soldier growled as he pressed a crude rifle into Nanami's back, stopping her in her tracks. He kicked the sword away from the girl. The men surrounding her bloodied father brought him to his knees, binding his hands together behind his back. -Where is Dmitri?! Why are we on our own?!… That damn wine… it was poisoned… he must have known…- Nanami attempted to piece together everything that transgressed. The stranger claiming to be the true guardian strode over to the bound man, drawing his sword.

"Give me what's rightfully mine and he doesn't die..."

"I did not will you the gift for a reason! I saw the future! I saw what would happen if you were in control of such power! I did what I was entrusted to do! You are not the one and you never will be!-" The witch hissed.

The man pressed the sword to the father's throat. Every muscle in Nanami's body tensed, yearning to attack.

"Coward… Fight me yourself instead of using hostages." She spat out.

"Now, I am no fool. You have the power to control the flow of time... you could easily kill me."

"Don't you think if I wanted to do so, I would have used it already? I can easily kill you without it. I would not stoop so low as to use it on someone as pathetic as you are, so do not flatter yourself." Nanami bluffed flawlessly. She knew she did not have enough strength to pull off such an escape with her father. The man smirked.

"She's so cocky... Without reason to be."

"Why don't you test that statement?"

"Not just yet. I'm awaiting a special guest. He's even saving me the trouble of having to chase him down." The man bit out the words and glanced toward the forest.

"More imbeciles swindled at some point in their lives?" Nanami asked coldly.

"That's one way to describe him..." The man motioned with his head toward the forest. Nanami glanced over in the indicated direction.

"He has nothing to do with this." Nanami quickly responded.

"Oh, yes, indeed, he does. His father killed mine. The debt has to be repaid."

Those amber eyes pierced the cold air as the sight disturbed him. It was odd to think that the woman whose husband Sesshomaru's father killed had been aiding his son.

"Greetings, Lord Sesshomaru... " The man announced.

"And you are…?"

"Do you remember that one, unusually cold summer, when your father left to the mainland to aid this charming little lady's father in a conflict over north of Manchuria? Well, your father killed mine and we lost those lands to her father... to him. You're here today to repay your father's debt."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but your problem is not on top of my priority list."

"Never a doubt in my mind. That's why she'll take care of it for me." He pointed to Nanami, who looked at Sesshomaru with a hint of panic in her eyes only he could detect. "If she wants her father to live to see the light of another day… Oh, what's the matter, darling? He's just another demon. A representative of the inferior race-" The man scowled. Nanami's mouth twisted into a growl.

"What makes you think so highly of yourself? You're no different-"

"Oh, believe me. I am." The man mumbled. "I have no sympathy for abominations."

"And yet you are one." Nanami snapped, attempting to reach for her other sword, still slung across her back, but the man shook his head.

"Uh-uh-uh. I did not grant you permission to move."

Nanami glowered at him, her eyes fiery with rage, but lowered her hand.

"Mother, I thought we had come to an agreement?" The man demanded, and the witch shook her head in denial. The man scowled and glanced at a soldier standing guard over the captives. The guard leaned over the back of the old witch and placed his blade to her throat.

"Go on… Kill me. I do not regret anything… except rearing a monster such as yourself." She wheezed.

"Oh, no, mother dearest, I wouldn't kill you… I'd make your life a living hell…" The man said indifferently. The soldier snatched the witch's right hand and spread it out flat on a rock, then proceeded to step on the tips of her fingers. An unbearable cracking sound resonated through the air. Nanami winced and looked away, back toward the self proclaimed guardian.

"Do as I say or one finger at a time will come off." He announced.

"What do you want from her?" Nanami hissed.

"Keep quiet, girl." The witch whimpered in fear, ignoring the agony her now broken fingers were causing. Nanami was about to protest when she noticed Sesshomaru looked as if he was lost to the world . Nanami frowned.

"Sesshomaru?" She asked in a soft whisper. He stared vacantly at the old woman, returning her eerie, sightless glare. Nanami could only guess as to what was going on.

"Craven miscreant! Leave him out of this!" She growled threateningly. The man seemed to ignore her and turned back toward her father. A cold sweat drenched Nanami; her heart seemed to drop to her ankles and freeze. Her father remained calm, but fear was showing in his eyes. The man signaled the soldier holding Nanami at gun point. He pulled the sword from her back and launched it into the sand, away from them. Still pointing the rifle at Nanami, he turned to face her. In his other hand was an eerily beautiful black gold dagger with a cold steel blade, sharpened to perfection. The handle was adorned with sapphires and onyx stones. The soldier shoved the dagger into Nanami's hands and resumed his position, rifle aimed at Nanami's back.

"Cooperate and this will not be as painful as it could be." The man pronounced to Nanami in a mentor's tone and pressed the edge of his sword closer to her father's throat. Nanami took a dangerous gamble and chucked the dagger to the ground defiantly.

"Pick it up." He threatened.

"No." Nanami retorted. The man pressed the blade closer to her father's neck, making him wince as a few drops of blood began to trickle down the cold steel.

"Fine!" Nanami shouted and reluctantly retrieved the dagger. -What does it matter what weapon my hand is forced to use anyway… useless pageantry for murder.-

"Good girl. Now, will you do the honors? You know deep down inside you want to. He poisoned your mind, your being, for more than two hundred years. He deceived you over… and over… and over again…" He spoke pompously, throwing a brief glimpse at Sesshomaru. "I'm giving you quite the opportunity … We both get vengeance… Even you are too clever to have let yourself fall into his trap again… What makes you think that he's any different from any other man? Why would another demon seek your power or your possessions and he wont? After all, you are in control of some of the most prosperous lands for us immortals in Asia. You have a virtually undefeatable fleet and army at your disposal… why would he be any different from Vlad? He loved you as well… or at least that's what he wanted you to think. What makes you think he's not playing the same cards?"

"That is none of your concern."

"So you have fallen for it yet again…Well then, that tactic was not fruitful… No matter… I want you to suffer as I have, knowing that my own mother shunned my inheritance away from me and gave it to a harpy who affiliates herself with the son of my father's killer. Now it's your turn to suffer. To pay the debt you owe me. I grant you a choice… Decide which of those you hold dear dies."

"You're a lunatic…" Nanami's hands trembled, feeling as if the dagger was growing heavier and heavier with each passing moment.

"Decide before I do it for you."

"I'm not killing anyone."

"So your father it is." The man prepared to slit her father's throat when Nanami shouted a distressed 'no'. She reluctantly forced herself over to Sesshomaru, her throat on fire, her thoughts racing as she contested her limited options. Sesshomaru remained still, but his amber eyes burned right through her. He seemed calm and arrogant as always, yet in her he sensed trepidation and enmity. She schemed to free her father and take the both of them to safety, to hell with her strength and health. She hastily raised her hand and aimed the dagger at his chest. Concentrating on the dull roar of the wind and the ice cold ocean waves, Nanami slowed her breath and heart, preparing her body to stop time.

"Quit stalling." The man grumbled. Nanami wanted to tear him to shreds more than anything, but she feared for her father. She glanced at him nervously. He was just as lost and confused as she was, but he kept his cool. Nanami turned back to Sesshomaru and locked her fingers tightly around the dagger. She tried to keep the uncertainty out of her eyes. -If this doesn't work, I have killed us all…-

Sesshomaru's eyes didn't speak anything to her, they remained as they always have been, cold and emotionless. –Just do it, Nanami. Make the strike convincing and I will leave nothing but splinters of this fleet. Just do what you must to keep your father safe, I will take care of the rest.-

"I… I'm…" Nanami whispered in a trembling voice. She shook her head and looked down, her sorrow most compelling. "I'm sorry…I can't… I don't want to…" She kept mumbling incoherent phrases as her forehead rested on his chest.

"Nanami." Sesshomaru murmured, aiming to draw her eyes upwards.

"I can't kill you, Sesshomaru." She said softly.

"Oh for Heaven's sake, enough of the drama…" The man protested, irritated by the affection of the two.

"I can't do this…"

"Then say goodbye to your father." The man only grew more flustered and announced a final threat, another trickle of blood appearing on the sword. Nanami took a deep breath and raised the dagger again to Sesshomaru's heart. She bit her lip as she pushed its tip into his skin. He could feel the metal pierce his skin, he took one last look at Nanami's frightened eyes and closed his own. Sesshomaru waited for the moment when he would feel the metal pierce his chest, when all could go dark, if she really did intend to kill him. He realized he feared the moment when he could no longer sense Nanami near him, when he could no longer hear her, see her, or even remember the softness of her lips. He waited but it never came.

"No, what are you-" Sesshomaru heard the man's voice call out. He no longer felt the dagger in his skin and he heard the sound of metal piercing cloth and flesh.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and saw Nanami standing before him. She smiled weakly and her eyes looked scared.

Sesshomaru felt a chill run through every inch of his body. He knew what she did but was afraid to look. –No… it can't be…-

Next thing he knew, Nanami was in his arms, a black dagger lodged right below her chest, her blood dripping to the cold gray sand.

"Nanami?" Sesshomaru turned her face up to his own, her eyes gazing up at him intently.

"Kill them all…" She whispered, hardly audible. Her eyes flashed their ethereal white before she closed them. Sesshomaru glanced at Nanami's father, who seemed to be distraught beyond salvation. The man closed his eyes, started to weep silently and dropped his head to the sand.

The stranger was speechless. He was taken aback by the girl's brash action. -This can't be happening... it can't be...- His eyes switched to the old woman, still on the ground. -You witch... What did you make her do? Do you realize what you have done?!... Hell, of course you do, you were planning on it.-

"You set her up to do it, didn't you?" He growled to his mother.

"It was her decision. Her own choice... " The witch whispered. "Foolish boy… It was never meant for you. I was merely a stand in until she was born. Her family held the power for generations… You will never be able to take it from her, nor would she be able to grant it to you so simply. You are not the first nor will you be the last to try and pry it from her. That is why she ended it. No one will be able to get to her. For all I know it is gone now. There will be no more guardians but her. She took the power with her to the grave, to the netherworld... You will get nothing. You are a fool to think you could have controlled her. Even if you killed all those she held dear and taken everything out of her life, she would never give in. She was born to bear the weight of this power, you were not. You get nothing..."

The man looked insane, on the brink of tearing his own limbs off, as he turned his sword toward his mother. Before he could complete the downward sweep of his blade, Sesshomaru leapt over to him, knocking the weapon out of his hands. Without warning or hesitation he swung at the man's face. The stranger tried to avoid the blows but only ended up with a broken nose and eye socket.

Sesshomaru snarled before bashing the man's face into the nearby boat. To Sesshomaru's surprise, none of the soldiers attacked him. They just watched silently and morbidly. The man regained some balance, gushing blood into the cold ocean, and hit Sesshomaru with an oar from the boat. The oar splintered into hundreds of pieces as it impacted with the demon's head. Sesshomaru let out a low growl and cracked his neck as an acid whip manifested in his hands. He lashed out at the man, viciously cutting him across every part of his body.

"Where is your confidence now?" He growled and dealt a final, fatal blow to the man's neck, slitting his throat. The man fell into the water, gurgling, the choking sounds reverberating against the boat's hull.

He turned, preparing to slash the rest of the soldiers to pieces, yet they had fallen back, standing motionlessly, their weapons lowered. Sesshomaru walked back to Nanami, laying still in the sand. For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru felt afraid; he felt panic coursing through his entire body.

"Nanami? Look at me... Open your eyes... Nanami-" Sesshomaru dropped to his knees, pressing her body close to him. He could feel tears make their way to his eyes, a feeling as foreign as to him as snow in hell. He could hear Nanami's father sob and let out heart-wrenching sounds of agony. Sesshomaru leaned in close to her face, his palm caressing her cheek.

"Nanami… It's over… he's gone… come back..." He whispered into her ear, feeling she wasn't there to hear him. -I thought this was a ploy… It must be…- Sesshomaru listened and listened hard for any sign of life in her, hoping every second she might start to breathe again, or say something... but she was silent. Lifeless. He felt no pulse, heard no breath. Sesshomaru shut his eyes as the tears brimmed. He pressed her closer to him and kissed her ear. He wanted to say it, how much he loved her, but he didn't, knowing that she wouldn't hear him. He gently let her body rest on the ground and stood up, turning toward the soldiers. Nanami's father pushed past them and sank to the sand by his daughter. The men were acting peculiar in Sesshomaru's opinion, but then again, he really didn't care at the moment what anyone was doing.

"Get back onto your ships and leave if you value your lives." Sesshomaru commanded, ready to substantiate his threat. They all retreated back to their vessels without a word. No one even got into the ocean to retrieve the body of their leader.

"You cannot waste anymore time. Take your daughter to your physicians before it's too late." The old witch called out to Nanami's father, as she mustered all her strength to stand up and walk toward the girl.

"It is too late… She does not breathe, nor does her heart beat." Her father whispered disconsolately.

"She will be alive and well if she's given medical attention immediately…" The witch reiterated, cradling her shattered fingers. "It isn't a mortal wound. She slowed time to near standstill to feign death. There was no other way out without another's murder. Do not foil her successful ruse."

Nanami's father looked at the old woman dubiously, but obeyed. Sesshomaru turned toward the young woman, prepared to carry her to the ends of the earth if need be. But the father had picked up his daughter and started toward the village. Sesshomaru collected Nanami's swords, glancing at the witch sparingly.

"Remember what I've told you… You know where to find me once the time comes." She reminded him, then turned to venture back into the forest. Sesshomaru frowned, doubting that was the option she should have taken. -I am not aware of what you were commanded to do, but I heard you speak, old woman, without a sound coming from your mouth. 'Unless she is safe before your eyes, she's never safe.'- The old woman warned him of Nanami's power, her son's blind, foolish desire to obtain something that cannot be given away or won, she told him to follow Nanami's lead and dispatch her son… But only one phrase stood out and repeated in his mind. His eyes returned to the man carrying Nanami through the snow. -Unless she is safe before my eyes, she is never safe.-

Maria was observing the whole situation unfold from behind the backs of a dozen soldiers. Her pulse began to race with the sight of the demon. He was an unstoppable killing machine ready to repeat the port incident a few months back. She snuck away quietly, cursing at how nothing worked out as she was promised and that her life was ruined. If she goes back, she would be tried for treason, and most likely killed, and if she stays here, Sesshomaru will find her and turn her into dog meat. She was able to make her way to the cliff from where Nanami came.

"Maria? What are you doing here?" Ryuu was dumbfounded to see his brief romance before him. She turned pale as a ghost, her mouth dropped open but she said nothing. She simply pushed past him.

"Hey, Aren't you-" Ryuu was about to voice his offense but was cutoff by a gust of wind, scented with Nanami's blood. He immediately turned toward the coast and scoped the area. He ran his hands through his hair. "Shit..."

Sesshomaru stood outside the hut, arms crossed over his chest, ignoring the soldiers' wary glares focused on him - in addition to the arrows in hand, ready to be nocked and loosed.

"It appears she made a calculated stab, missing any vital organs, arteries and veins - a flesh wound. The bleeding seemed to freeze… she managed to pull off an elaborate hoax." The physician muttered to Nanami's father inside the hut.

"Will she recover soon? Will she wake?" His voice was laced with strain and anxiety for his beloved daughter.

"She will be fine. She is fast asleep and recovering. Keep her safe and off her feet for several days."

"Thank you."

Nanami's father emerged several minutes later. He glanced up at the young man, a living memory of his long gone friend.

"I assume you've heard?" He asked, stopping before the silver haired demon.

"She lives."

"She does. And I mean to keep it that way…" His prudent blue eyes scrutinized Sesshomaru. "I pray we may come to an agreement not to complicate this further. My offer still stands:the host leaves, save for a small contingent to help rebuild and restore peace, damage is repaid in trade goods. I understand it does not make up for any casualties, little as they may be, but I offer as best I can."

Sesshomaru watched the man closely, wondering when the mention of his daughter would surface next.

"I know what you desire, Sesshomaru. But I cannot grant it. She must stay with me until she is healed. Then… You and I both know we cannot control where she decides to go. Until such time, you have your lands to protect, I have some loose ends to tie up. There is no telling where those three ships will sail nor what they will do. But for these men and the rest of the host in the other two villages - gone by morning. I'll entrust a small force to you. Whoever remains of Vlad's force you may deal with as you see fit, with no repercussions from me. They had disobeyed my directives and engaged in acts of war…" He paused, knowing full well where Sesshomaru's head was at. "Do you accept these terms?"

Sesshomaru turned toward the village gates. "So be it." He answered coldly, leaving without mention of Nanami. The young woman's father sighed in relief and looked into the hut, empty of everyone and everything aside from the furniture. -I should have taken her to the ships the moment she arrived, instead of allowing Dmitri's farce with the sleeping draught ensue. For all the good it did… he was shot, and the guards. Lives wasted. None of this would have happened... I knew she would not leave… she certainly wouldn't leave now, if I gave her the option.- He turned and made his way toward the docks.

"She needs to stay, she cannot go back to that demon!" A man's voice said in a frustrated whisper. Nanami's eyes slowly opened. She could see she was in a room with arches and a tall ceiling, but she didn't make out much else for she closed her eyes in response to the throbbing headache and pain in her stomach.

"He is the son of my greatest ally. He is worthy of our respect and trust."

"Just because of his heritage? General, with all due respect, do you know the man? His beliefs, actions, his past?"

"I trust my daughter's judgement."

Then no one spoke. Nanami could only hear footsteps and the sound of a door opening and room fell silent. Nanami listened closely, and she could discern two men arguing in hushed voices, her father and the younger commander, and the sound of wooden chimes. She frowned and sat up slowly on the bed, cringing from the pain in her wound. She looked around and saw that she was on an enormous bed with red covers and a thick fur throw. The room was dark, with only a faint light coming in through the heavy curtains that covered the only window. -Where the hell am I?- Nanami slowly stood up from the bed, feeling as if her whole entire body hadn't moved in days. Her memories felt scrambled - a ship at sea, her father's face, s small, familiar port, mountain trails on horseback. She took a few deep breaths to collect herself and walked over to the covered window. Her fingers took a firm hold of the curtains and pulled them open. The morning light blinded her for a brief moment, but gradually her eyes made out a familiar, snow covered terrain. She was looking at her home city, overlooking the massive expanse of a frigid lake. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and everything was covered with a crisp, white blanket. The stone city was a short distance away from the shore, which was studded with boulders and bluffs emerging from the waters and gradually merging into the massive mountains surrounding most of the coast. The city was guarded from all sides by mountains and water, but no stone walls. The small city was very organized with clean, well lit streets, and no scrambled alleyways and buildings leaning over one another. There were grand palaces on the mountainside, somewhat obscured by the forest, and the smaller homes were all located closer to the shore, with their own gardens and plots. Off to the side, upon a hill that turned into a cliff and plunged 30 feet or so to the water, stood a large stone palace which served as the capital building where all the elders, leaders and military officials would gather to rule. But the building also served as the city hall, where balls, celebrations and meetings took place. Down the street that twisted up to the building on the hill was the sprawling library, which contained thousands of books, scripture, scrolls, maps, documents, records and art.

Memories flooded Nanami's mind as her eyes skimmed over her remote, secluded home city. Smoke billowed out of the holes in the roofs of the homes as the inhabitants slowly awakened. Nanami watched four little kids throw snowballs and chase each other into the woods. The sight brought back a memory of herself as a child, doing the same with her long gone friends. She then remembered her dream, the one where she saw herself and Sesshomaru, as children, when nothing was complicated and the world was simple and peaceful. Nanami took a deep breath and stepped away from the window. -Where is he now? Does he know I am over a thousand miles away?-

"The people need her here! Her place is here!-"

"Enough!"

Nanami was a bit startled by the shouting and glared at the door. She looked at the white linen nightgown she was wearing and tried to decide if it was appropriate for her to go out of the room looking as she did. She wasn't sure of where she was; it could have been a private home or one of the elders', and she didn't want to make the situation worse than it was. She grabbed the fur throw that rested on the bed and draped it over herself before heading toward the door and leaving the room. Only the younger commander was in the spacious hall, his arms crossed over his chest. He turned toward the young woman and walked toward her. Nanami immediately took a few steps back, and the man got the message.

"How are you feeling?" He asked in a soothing voice.

"I'm fine, thank you... Where is my father?" Nanami responded.

"He had just left to speak with the council. Is there anything I can do for you, my lady?"

Nanami glanced at the man awkwardly. She wasn't used to being referred to as "my lady".

"Uh, no... no, thank you..." Nanami turned and headed back to her bedchamber. Then she stopped abruptly. "Actually... May I have my clothes back?"

"Of course, my lady."  
>"You don't have to say that."<p>

"As you please. I'll send someone up with clean clothes."

"Thank you." Nanami smiled sweetly and retreated back to the room.

Within minutes, a middle aged, petite brunette woman came into the room with folded clothes and towels in her hands.

"Good morning, princess." She said in a kind, hearty tone. Nanami smirked. The word princess reminded her of fairy tales and fragile, gorgeous girls that always relied on saviors and followed royal etiquette. -Princess? Ha, I wonder how many Princesses curse and get black eyes.-

"Good morning to you too... Please, do not call me that. I am no princess." Nanami replied and looked at the woman who laid out the clothes in a neat pile on the bed before placing them in a bag that she pulled out from a drawer in the bedside end table.

"My name is Ludmila, my dear, if you do not remember. I used to be your nanny when you were just a small, pudgy and messy little flower in swaddles. I was not sure it was possible for there to be an obedient handful of a child but you've done it. Always running off somewhere, starting something, coming back bruised and dirty whenever you had time to yourself… and yet you were always so well behaved and grown up." She smiled sweetly as she looked at Nanami, as if reminiscing a long gone past. Nanami laughed a little and bowed her head in what she guessed was shame.

"But now look at you...my God. So grown up, so beautiful." Ludmila came up to Nanami and observed her features, making Nanami blush once again. "You're no princess...you're a queen."

"Alright, follow me to the bath house, you must tell me where have you been these past years." Ludmila said as she draped a thick fur robe over Nanami's shoulders and placed a pair of wool boots in front of her. The elder woman led her out of the bed chamber, through the hall, down the stairs and through a grand parlor room out into the frigid morning.

"So where have you disappeared to for all those years, my lady?" Ludmila asked, her breath visible in the cold air.

"I was home, well, here briefly… Ages ago. But… I followed my father on his travels for close to a century after I returned from Japan. But we were separated, and I've been on the run ever since."

"I remember you leaving to those far shores as a child with your father... then you returned after about ten years. And you seemed confused a bit. Your memories were sporadic. But I haven't seen you since you were eight, because I left with my son for Rome, remember? But your mother would write and tell me all about what was happening at home, and she said you were changed... but would never say why. Then she told me you disappeared again many, many years later...What happened?" Ludmila explained, becoming breathless as she hurried toward the bath house down the street.

"It's...complicated. I have met certain people that perhaps I should not have involved myself with. That's all."

Ludmila walked up to a large stone square building built into the side of a mountain and opened the doors, urging Nanami inside. She soon closed the door behind them and gently pushed Nanami through another set of large doors into a chamber with a sprawling spring and a set of about a dozen tubs separated by elegant hanging drapes.

"Come, come, let's clean you up darling." Ludmila led Nanami to a bathtub near the spring with golden and red drapes. She pulled the robe off of her and urged her to get in to the hot water as a young girl who worked in the establishment dropped flower petals and leaves into the water. Nanami undressed as soon as the young girl left and quickly got into the tub before the older woman saw her.

"Rumor is...you stirred up some very serious trouble with a powerful family in that foreign land. So much so, that the family began to quarrel with each other, exiled you, and...you killed the father." Ludmila said quietly, as if it was a secret, while she began to rub Nanami's back with a sponge. Nanami's chin rested on her folded forearms as she thought about what she was told.

"As you said, it's a rumor." She answered apathetically. -How did that manage to get here?-

"Then what did happen?"

"I lived with the family, and the mother hated me and preferred I be a servant than a ward. She tended to blame all mishaps on me, including her husband's infidelity and then his death protecting his lover. That's all."

"Oh...how terrible..." Ludmila responded, but Nanami could catch the doubt in her voice. She knew there was something more to the story, but Nanami had no intention of saying much else. Especially about Sesshomaru.

"How did that happen?" She asked as she rubbed Nanami's shoulder.

"Like all the rest of them. Didn't move away fast enough."

"What a peculiar scar…" Ludmila surveyed the fading marks further.

-Claws don't leave as clean a cut. - Nanami kept her thought to herself.

"Isn't it?...When can I see my father?" Nanami changed the subject, avoiding thoughts of Sesshomaru.

"As soon as you're all cleaned up and fed."

"Oh...alright."

After being scrubbed clean, dressed in a burgundy, fleece winter dress and beige fur cloak, and being treated to a feast like she hasn't enjoyed in years, Nanami headed over to the capital building to meet with her father. A guard led her through the halls of the decadent stone palace to the study her father chose as his quarters. She opened the black oak door and walked in, closing the it carefully behind her.

"Good morning father." She said softly.

He turned from the tall and narrow but bright window behind his desk to face the girl. He quickly rushed over to her and hugged her, kissing her forehead.

"Hello, my sunshine. How are you feeling? How is your wound?"

"It is fine, it's nearly healed."

"Oh, I was so worried about you! I thought I was going to die on that shore...That was a stupid thing you did." He said in a typical, lecturing fatherly tone.

"I did what I had to."

"What? Attempt to commit suicide?"

"I do not want the burden of someone losing their life because of me on my conscience. I would not be able to live with that. Besides, my actions were precise. You have to admit, it was effective." Nanami was beginning to get slightly offended.

"I nearly had a heart attack. And that was just a foolish thing to do... stick a dagger into yourself. That man you were protecting was a demon… much stronger than you, able to withstand more damage than you."

"And? If I had stabbed him and let him live you would have still died. He would have killed you anyway before Sesshomaru could even get to him, no matter how fast he may be. The old woman would have died as well. I had to do something bold enough to muddle his wits and buy Sesshomaru time. It was a gamble, but I had no other option."

"I understand...it was noble, but still foolish...I know Sesshomaru would have survived a minor injury, if you had to inflict one-"

"Everyone was well aware that he would survive anything I tried to pull off…I would never have killed him... The situation would have been much worse had I not done what I had."

This time, her father said nothing, just let out a heavy sigh.

"I'm afraid what you're feeling toward him cannot come true. It can't happen. The elders will not allow it. I'm sorry... I know you came here to ask when you may leave to go back... but the answer is never. The council ruled it so. They believe it is for your safety and for the safety of our people...and your power. It must all remain secret and secluded." The man slowly walked back to his desk and sat down in the chair, trying to deliver the news as carefully as he could.

Nanami was dumbstruck. She stared at her father in disbelief. -They're forbidding me to leave the city?!-

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I could've done...You know their word is law. They are looking out for you. That's all. Give it some time, you will learn to forget and get back to your life."

"No, father, I won't. It's a little too late for that. I can't simply forget him. Not after all that has happened..." Nanami walked over to her father's desk. He looked at her in shock, jumping to conclusions.

"No..." Nanami frowned, realizing what her father's expression was implying. She lowered herself to one of the cushioned, walnut wood chairs in front of his desk. "Does he know where I am? Does he even know I'm alive?"

"He knows you live, but that is all." Her father refused to divulge any more details than necessary. Nanami scoffed dismally, watching her fingers spin the black gold ring on her finger.

"I planned to leave without telling him. I led him to believe that I was leaving to aid you in stopping the invasion, and I would return within two days. I even told him to come for me if I hadn't. Because in my mind, I knew I'd be on a ship sailing home long before he came for me. That was the plan…" She let out a small laugh, her eyes still focused on her hands. "Which I suppose is what happened in the end anyway. But now that I'm here…" She looked up at her father, eyes gleaming with tears. "I'm here… but I shouldn't be." A tear drifted down her cheek and she lowered her head again, hiding her emotions. -This is what I wanted… Then why do I feel so rotten? How could I possibly regret leaving, after all he's done?-

Her father reached out his hand to take hers, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Your seclusion from him is for the best. The elders have notified every port, every captain, everyone that you must remain here...They fear another close encounter with death for you." He tried to reassure her, leaving out another prominent reason they were keeping her away. -No time for that now.-

She let out a shuddering sigh, but when she looked up, her expression was back to its accustomed undecipherable coolness. -I wonder how much worse this would be had they known I've died once already.-

"May I at least write him a letter?" Nanami whispered. She knew it was useless to argue with her father right now.

"No. They forbade any communication with anyone outside our borders except family."

"In other words, I am imprisoned here. For how long?" Nanami felt like a wild animal locked in a gilded cage.

"Until they decide his influence over you is gone."

Nanami glared at her father for a few seconds, then stood up straight. He was visibly upset at his daughter's desolation, but did not know how to approach it.

"So be it. I shall not bother you, father."

"You are not… I… I shall see you tonight."

Nanami left the room before her father finished the sentence. She maintained her austerity until she reached a wooded hill overlooking the frozen lake. She was alone, and her mask cracked. Hot tears streamed down her face, her breath fluttered in the bone chilling winter air. -Stop the tears, this was what you wanted. Why cry if I swore to never forgive his transgressions and if I constantly plotted to escape? You're being a child. This IS for the best. No more fighting, no more arguing, no more Tsuneo, no more demons… And no more Rin… or Sango … no more Sesshomaru. No more, no more, no more. The only thing that always follows anything I touch, anything I do, anywhere I go. I cannot be selfish any longer. The less the world knows of me, the less lives I endanger.- Nanami wiped the tears from her cheeks and breathed deep the glacial air. She knew she had to let go of Sesshomaru, and of Nanami, and become who her birth and heritage bestowed on her.

As the sun set, the wind howled and the dark waves rumbled with a tremendous roar. Sesshomaru gazed at the endless expanse of sea on the horizon, anger slowly burning within him. -So there is her decision…- He did not know why he kept looking at the sea. Maybe for the small hope of seeing a lonely vessel. The thin scroll of parchment in his hand remained unopened. He received it earlier from the lone guard, armored and cloaked in brown furs, who approached to report the beginning of repairs and restoration of all three villages. He introduced himself as in charge of the remaining contingent, at Sesshomaru's disposal, at least for the next several months.

He was reluctant to open the scroll, fearing what the message would hold. His thumb paused on the seal for a moment, the popped it open.

"If you're reading this, then I'm safe, alive and well. Do not wait for me, Sesshomaru. Forgive me, but it is for your own good and safety that I am home. I brought war upon you, pain, suffering and danger. Over the years that we knew each other, fate made it obvious that we are better off living separate lives. It is far too dangerous...and useless to try otherwise. Forgive me for deceiving you, I beg of you, and live your life to the fullest without me, forget our promises. I do not want to be a burden on your shoulders, and I do not think I could live a life filled with more fear than I already have, with a more guilty conscience than already bestowed on me. Do not waste time writing back to me, or trying to find me, because you will not be able to. My lands are secluded enough for no one to encounter them. Nor do strangers come within our borders. However hard it may be at first, you will learn to live without me, and I will just the same. Please, for me, live your life as if I never intervened. If you care for me, you would not come after me and you will move on. For both our sakes, forgive me and forget me. Do not keep this letter; burn it, and think of me one last time and know that I had once loved you."

Sesshomaru stared at the letter long after he read it. - Nanami... it was all a lie.- He crumbled the parchment in his hands. -Fool... what were you thinking? How much longer did you think she would have kept up with the fighting, the wounds, the arguing, the tears, the running? She was already given a burden of carrying the power she has and guarding it, then you come in and condemn her for your father's death and Inuyasha's wretched existence. You forced her to mistrust you, to flee from you for her life… Why then are you so surprised?- Sesshomaru reasoned. Yet something deep inside was telling him this was not as it seemed, that something was askew. But Sesshomaru dismissed the feeling as sorrow and disbelief.

-I promised to do whatever it takes for you to forgive me...if this is what you want... then as you please, Nanami. I cannot and will not ever forget you, but I promise not to chase after you… what's the point? She cannot hear me. Maybe she is right, fate has paths a world apart for us.-

Sesshomaru forced the pain back and remained cool and composed. He turned away from the sea and walked into the snow covered forest, remembering the warmth of Nanami's skin, her gilded honey hair, the taste of her lips. He thought of forgetting her presence, her scent, her tongue-in-cheek comments, the way her brows furrowed when she was angry, and their childhood spent together. -No matter what you say, Nanami, you will always remember me...No matter how far you are, you are still mine.-


	11. Gilded Cage

*** *** *** Two Years Later *** *** ***

As time went on, the solitary stone city nestled in the wooded mountains proved a peaceful reprieve. It may have seemed an odd location for a ruling seat, so far from the mainland, in such a cold climate, but therein lay its beauty and appeal. The city was safe from invasion and unwanted attention from humans and demons. There was plenty of bountiful riverland and a large freshwater lake to sustain an ample food supply, removing the need to depend entirely on outside trade. The hamlet's seclusion and resultant stability and peace was easy to get accustomed to. Nanami had adapted quickly to her new calm and comfortable life, her thoughts returning less and less to everything she left behind. She thoroughly enjoyed not being chased from town to town, there were no armies running her from coast to coast, no swords and arrows flung at her. She could finally afford to let her guard down and enjoy spending time with her family, her friends, old and new. For the first time in years, she was worry free.

Her mother had returned within the first year; her homecoming resulted in keeling over at the sight of her daughter. Nanami and her mother hardly looked related; she was petite, chestnut haired and dark green eyed where Nanami was taller by half a foot, fairer skinned, honey haired and gray eyed. Nanami and her mother were nearly identical in character. Her mother, however, was a bit more short tempered and feisty, whereas Nanami was calmer, and intimidating in her austerity.

Even though Nanami had not been in battle or had to fend for her life in two years, her father made sure she didn't stray from her duty as a head of his elite force. Nanami attended training sessions every day except on Sundays. The elite team was composed of about 19 men and six women, all of whom were Nanami's age or a little older. She knew most of them because of the years they had all spent together as children, teenagers and accompanying her father through the years. Of course, Nanami was gone for about a decade, but as soon as she returned, she rekindled those lost ties.

Nanami's skin tingled with the touch of the icy waters of the enormous lake as her bare feet dangled off a canoe near the coast. She was leaning back in the boat, her head resting on the other side, enjoying the midsummer afternoon.

"Alyona!" A woman's voice shouted from the shore. Nanami's true name was ironically befitting, as it's meaning was tied to fire and light. She opened her eyes, sighed and sat up. She pulled her feet into the boat and grabbed the oars. She rowed back to shore, toward a small dock to which four other canoes were tied to. Alyona tied up her boat, picked up the skirts of her billowy burgundy dress and walked out onto the deck. Ludmila was on the pebbled shore, waiting for the girl and squinting to shield her eyes from the sun.

"Good afternoon, Ludmila." Alyona said as she walked onto the warm stone path, her sandals in her hands.

"Hello, darling. Your uncle and his family are arriving at the gates right now. Your mother sent for you." Ludmila said as she began to walk back to the city.

"They came much sooner than I would have thought." Alyona commented.

"Probably due to good weather... oh, there will be little sleep the next few nights. The food and drink will keep half the city up late into the morning." She said sullenly.

"They now have the perfect excuse to drink too much and start to sing off tune and end up waking on tables, boats and sidewalks. Yes...Theirs is a lovely lullaby. We all look forward to it."

Ludmila and the girl joined up with the crowd at the gate awaiting the arrival of the family, their followers, other citizens and various imports. Alyona passed a few people and stopped beside her mother, dressed in a simple but beautiful, shoulder baring emerald gown.

"Are they here yet?" The young woman stood up on her tiptoes and looked past the heads of the escort of soldiers in front of her.

"They should be here any minute now." Her mother, looking poised but a little annoyed, announced as she glanced at her daughter and the shoes in her hands.

"Alyona..."

"What?" The girl said as she kept looking for her relatives. Hearing no response, she glanced at her mother, staring at her intensely. Alyona copied the glare but obeyed, stepping into her sandals. Then both smiled and returned their attention to the arriving travelers.

At the head of the small, exhausted pack of men and women approaching was Alyona's uncle and aunt. Her uncle was riding a brown stallion who kept nodding and stomping the ground. He was tall, and very slim, with short, curly brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a white linen shirt, black pants and leather boots. He jumped off the horse and walked toward Alyona's father. His wife, a petite, red haired woman with a little extra weight and a sincere smile, took off the silk scarf she had lightly draped over her head and got off her white horse. She walked up to Alyona's mother and embraced her, and the two exchanged kisses on each others cheeks. Alyona tried to listen in to what her father and uncle were conversing about, for they both seemed a little disturbed.

"Alyonushka! My God, is that you?!" Alyona heard a woman's slightly hoarse voice exclaim and hands caress her cheeks. "You're so tall! So pretty! My, my, my its been so long!"

"I have to agree. I have missed you Tania!" Alyona managed to say before all the air was squeezed out of her lungs. Alyona smiled as best she could once she was free of her aunt's grasp, which also forced her to readjust the elaborate lace and cotton bodice of her gown. "Where is Leila?" She asked about her cousin, a mere teenager last time she saw her. Alyona hadn't seen Leila, nor her parents, in over a century.

"Oh, she elected to spend a few extra days in her new home. We had only just returned from her wedding. She promised to come for a visit soon after we are able to settle back in." Tania said proudly. Alyona was at a loss for words. Her cousin was younger than her and already married. But then again, she wasn't alternating between countries, being rundown by soldiers and assassins.

"Well, you must be exhausted." Alyona's mother quickly changed the subject, knowing what the aunt was about to ask. "Come, we should get you settled in and cleaned up before the fest."

Alyona joined the two women after saying hello to her uncle. After two blacksmiths who were part of the incoming crew brought in all of Tania's and her husband's luggage into a luxurious little home out by the shore, the three women all departed for the bath house with a change of clothes. Soaking in the hot spring, Tania described the entire journey and the few complications they faced, such as broken bridges, injuries and stolen property.

"Otherwise, we had a fairly calm journey. Didn't lose anything too important and everyone was safe. Our cook turned out to be quite the talented healer, our captain quite the singer, and those blacksmith boys have hands for everything. They really are a tough pair. And smart. They could do anything, fix anything, make whatever was needed, God bless them." Tania washed the bath oil off her skin while Alyona remained on the stone lip of the spring, perched upon a cushion with her dress hiked up to her thighs.

"One of them, I saw him running around the neighborhood in diapers as a little kid with one blonde lock on the top of his head." Tania laughed. "His mother was a wonderful woman, but she died young, leaving the boy alone with his father, who taught him the trade of the blacksmith. He died too, about two decades later, after so many complications with his health. But they would be proud of his son. He is so kind hearted and able to do and help anyone. My husband never trusts his weaponry or armor to anyone else, so of course he had to convince him to come home with us. It is my hope we will be able to find a spot for these lads in the city… they do quite the marvelous work."

"It's unfair that bad things happen to good people. We only have one smith, so the extra hands are much needed." Alyona's mother announced. "I hope he finds a happy life here."

Her daughter opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. -Maybe a person becomes good after bad things happen to them.- Then she thought about all the things she had to overcome. -Maybe not... Certainly not my case...I think I may have gotten worse.-

"Yes...but the world never was and never will be fair...both of those young men went through some rough times life had handed them. The other one, I've never seen him before until about eight months ago. But he's been aiding Peter for quite some time. He's one talented fellow, a bit quiet and solitary, but so kind. He wouldn't show it, but I can see he cares deep down. No one really knows too much about him, but I hear from Peter that he lost both his parents when he was a young lad too, and then had the misfortune to lose the girl he loves, and to top it off his town was raided and completely destroyed. "

Alyona squinted her eyes a bit. -I'm sure that's quite the regular background nowadays, sadly… Tania… always fond of her serving men.-

"Oh, my, now imagine all that he went went through? I'm impressed he is still alive, to be honest." Alyona's mother commented, fixing her pinned up hair.

"It is amazing how much a person can handle. Each in his own way." Tania finished washing her arms. "But let's talk about something cheery, shall we?"

"I agree. Now, tell me about Leila and her new husband..." Alyona's mother changed the subject. And so Tania began an hour long oration about her daughter's charming husband. It got to the point that Alyona couldn't handle the exaggeration and emphasis her aunt kept placing on everything she said about the newlyweds. She left her mother and aunt to chat away and headed over to the patch of wooded land close to the shore where the festivities were being set up by the the town's bakers, soldiers and anyone else who was willing and able to help out. Everything was ready and people were slowly starting to gather up together. Alyona walked over to a table where two young men sat talking and laughing, looking out on the lake. She came up from behind them and placed a hand on each man's shoulders.

"I better not see you two passed out in boats out on the lake again, or I will have to call your lady, Ilia." She said to the man with curly brown hair and green eyes to her right.

"Eh, you're only my boss when we're training or in battle, darling, so I can do whatever the hell I want...and this time I'll find a coat or blanket. My ass was freezing all night last time, and I ended up sick for two weeks." The man snickered. Alyona frowned and laughed.

"Oh, ingenious solution. Bring a blanket... Yes that sounds much more foolproof than not drinking to the point where you have the mental capacity of a snail..." Alyona said sarcastically and sat down between the two men. The man on her left had jet black hair and bright blue eyes, with rugged looks and short black stubble. He was the man that made all the young girls sigh and stumble in the town, but his eye was fixed on Alyona... at least, temporarily.

"Hey, beautiful." He said and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Disgusting caveman." She said in a sultry voice.

"Bullshit, you know you love me." The man joked around.

"I think half the female population does, you don't have to try so hard."

"Add a few 'boys' to your following, Sergei." Ilia muttered, making both Alyona and the man glare at him awkwardly.

"So you're finally coming out of the closet, huh? How's your wife going to take this?" Alyona retorted, making Ilia frown and blush. Sergei laughed.

"Well if you insist I suppose I can give you a smooch." Sergei bat his eyelashes and puckered his lips.

"Eat shit." Ilia shouted and laughed. 'You know what I meant."

"You two are such idiots." Alyona shook her head and brushed her blonde curls over her shoulder. Sergei looked at her hair and the flowers that were braided like a headband. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair, but resisted the impulse for he knew that she was likely to get angry.

A gentle finger tapped Alyona's shoulder and made her turn. An elderly nun was standing behind her and smiled sweetly. She was one of the headmasters of the orphanage and school that was run near the library.

"Hello, Alyona. I am sorry for interrupting, but this little girl claims to know you. She came in about five months ago and has been searching for you ever since."

The blonde woman raised her eyebrows and stood up as the nun presented a little girl of about eight, with long, straight black hair, big chocolate eyes, and slightly tanned skin. Alyona stared breathlessly at her for a moment then tripped over the bench as she jumped toward the little girl. She snatched her up off the ground and embraced her, kissing her cheeks.

"What are you doing here?! How did you get here?!" She asked franticly in Japanese as Rin wrapped her arms tightly around her neck and smiled so wide, Sergei could see her back teeth.

"I missed you so much, Nanami!" Rin squealed.

"I'll be back later." Alyona addressed her friends without turning around and walked down to the dock she stood on earlier that morning, Rin still in her arms.

"I missed you too, but how did you get here? How did you find me? And why?" Alyona asked as she let the girl down and sat down on the dock.

"I left. Your father's soldiers took me back with them when I asked if they knew where you were. After I saw where the village was with Lord Sesshomaru, I left to visit anytime he was gone… but I think he knew I did anyway. Sometimes I brought food. Sometimes the soldiers gave me things from your old man told me he knew you and your father, and I asked if I could go with him to see you because I didn't have a family and you were all I had."

"And he let you come on board?" Alyona was shocked at apparent lax security decisions made by the soldiers. Rin was lucky enough that Japanese was a common second language among the citizens and soldiers. "But why would you leave? Sesshomaru let you go?"

Rin's smile disappeared. She fidgeted with her fingers and looked down at the crystal clear water.

"Well...no. Lord Sesshomaru doesn't know."

Alyona was stunned. If Sesshomaru had one care in the world it was Rin. "What?! You just ran away? Why?!"

"I..." Rin looked at Alyona, and hesitated for a moment. "I...don't like the princess that … follows him. I ran away when she told me she was going to be my mom." Rin whispered. Alyona felt like a knife was just driven through her chest. All the months spent repressing every thought and feeling still alive somewhere inside were for nothing. In a split second, all the burns and pain were back with a vengeance.

"Wha-" She was at a loss for words. She just stared at Rin, not believing her ears.

"She and her father began to show up a couple weeks before I ran away. I don't know why he didn't tell them to leave. So she would stay with me when Lord Sesshomaru left. I tried to remind him of you. And I tried to talk about you in front of her, but she would just change the topic. And then one day Lord Sesshomaru was tired of me talking about you and he said to me that you wanted us to forget about you and that you were never coming back. He showed me the letter you wrote, and he said you told him to forget about you because you were going to forget about him."

"Wait, Rin...What letter? I never wrote any letters." Alyona was befuddled.

"Yes you did, I saw it. Lord Sesshomaru kept it even though you wrote that he should burn it...'

"Rin...I never wrote him a letter. I couldn't. I'm not allowed to leave or talk or even write to anyone outside of the city. That's not my letter."

"But your name was on it... and Lord Sesshomaru believed it. He said it was your handwriting... But that's not why I left. I didn't want that woman to be my mother. I spent a while with her when Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken were gone. She was always so strict with what I could wear and eat and she wouldn't let me wait for Lord Sesshomaru with Ah-Un like I always do. She kept trying to make me more like herself. She said I was too messy, and if I was going to be her daughter, I would have to act like a princess is expected to. And Lord Sesshomaru changed… He would leave often and for a long time. He wouldn't pay much attention to me...like he was forgetting about me. So I left, so I could live with you."

Alyona hugged the girl tightly and rubbed her back.

"Tell you what. How about you go back to the orphanage, pack up your things, ask one of the nuns to take you to my house, and I'll meet you there in a short while and then we'll go and have a nice dinner. But they know me as Alyona, not Nanami...Alright?" Alyona let go and smiled.

"Alright." Rin beamed brighter than the summer sun and jogged away back toward the nun, picking up the red summer dress she was wearing. Alyona glared at the water rustling under the dock. -How could he let her leave so far? How did this child make it almost 1400 miles on her own? What is he thinking? … What is he doing? How much he must love her if he let Rin, his precious Rin, run away and get as far as my own home? What has happened to him?- Alyona stood up and started to walk back toward the city, avoiding the fest. He mind was overwhelmed with endless questions. -They were right...the elders were right all along… That wretch on the beach was right… He did betray me again and got on with his life... What am I thinking?! How is any of this betrayal? I planned to escape anyway… I left without a word and without a trace. What else was he to do? Why do anything? … I'm simply being selfish now… And… What letter was Rin talking about? I never wrote any letter to him. I tried, and each told him I would come back, or to forgive me, that I could not forget about him. But they were never sent, only thrown into the flames…Someone else is in this mess again... How long is it going to be before he comes after Rin? Well...sooner or later, he wouldn't be able to get far. He would be caught. Or recognized. Nor will he know where to go. Maybe he won't ever make it here...That means Rin would have to live here, with me. Perhaps for the better.-

Alyona reached her home at sunset, and Rin was already sitting on the doorstep in her red, summer dress, humming a tune and counting petals on the flowers in her lap. Alyona thanked and dismissed the nun guarding the girl. She smiled, despite her turmoiled feelings on the inside, and walked up to the girl.

"Rin. Are you ready to go?"

"Nanami!" Rin bolted up, flowers in her hands. "Where are we going?"

"To the festival. But first, let me put your belongings inside the house. Then we will be on our way." Alyona unlocked her home and set the small, patchwork bag of Rin's things next to an end table by the entrance.

"Shall we?' The woman locked the doors and reached for Rin. The little girl freed one hand and held on to Alyona's as they started to walk.

"I thought your name was Nanami."

"It was in Japan because that is what Sesshomaru's father called me. My real name is Alyona."

"Oh...I miss Lord Sesshomaru..." Rin said sadly after a moment of silence. Alyona did not know what to say. She did not want to tell her to forget about him and that he was apparently a liar, fearing she would be upset with her, but neither did she want to say she missed him too. So she kept quiet. Rin looked up at her, trying to see any emotion on her face, but she could see none. The two continued to walk in silence through the carved stone streets until they reached the festival, where the revelries have already begun. The celebration was held close to the shore of the lake and across from the city hall. Girls and women all had flowers in their hair and were wearing bright summer dresses and shirts. Alyona walked toward the table she sat at earlier, carefully scanning the faces of the people present. -How do I know he's not here already?- Then she realized she must have been paranoid. The chance that Sesshomaru could find the city was dismal, and even less so for him to get in without detection. She could not see anyone who looked anything like Sesshomaru. -You're overreacting. He's not here. He can't be.- Deep down, she was not sure of whether or not she wanted him to be there. She was anxious and terrified, yet in a strange way almost thrilled at the possibility of seeing the man again. Alyona kept rationalizing every feeling, and finally forced herself to brush off her troubles and act as if nothing was bothering her. Otherwise it would only have brought suspicion.

Alyona sat Rin down on the bench in front of the two men with whom she spoke earlier and settled in next to her. Neither Ilia nor Sergei knew what to say and just smiled at the little girl.

"This is Rin...She's my..." Alyona tried to figure out what to say. Rin looked at her with slightly frightened eyes. Alyona reminded herself of the language barrier and hoped the men's Japanese was still sufficient enough to carry on the conversation.

"She's my daughter."

Ilia dropped the apple he was munching on and stared at the woman wide-eyed while his friend choked on his wine.

"WHO?!" Sergei's eyes were on the verge of popping out of their sockets.

"Not literally." Alyona rolled her eyes. "Even if she was, what does it matter to you?" She then smirked.

"Nothing. Nothing... I just thought...that you were too young and... never mind. So uh... who is she really?' Sergei stumbled all over his Japanese words and blushed madly. Alyona smiled and placed a gentle hand on Rin's head.

"She's a charming little dove I met back in Japan. She's an orphan...so I took her in." Alyona brushed Rin's hair back behind her ear.

"Oh...I'm sorry, sugar. But you're in good hands. That one will take good care of you and rip apart anyone who hurts you...Literally." Ilia commented and continued to eat his apple.

"Well that's one thing you've got right about me." Alyona answered, her eyes still scanning the area around her. She reached for the bottle of red wine on the table and poured herself a goblet-full. Sergei looked at her and smirked.

"Hold on...I thought you said you're not one to drink?"

"I'm not one to get DRUNK, but right now, I could use a drink." Alyona took another sip of her wine. "Rin, what would you like to eat?"

The celebration lasted for hours, and with time, and her goblet of wine, Alyona began to unwind and ended up dancing with Sergei. Her mind wasn't bothered by thoughts of Sesshomaru being anywhere near her. Rin managed to play with the other children for most of the time and seemed to really enjoy herself, despite the language barrier.

Alyona was still dancing with Sergei, one arm around his shoulders, laughing and singing along to the song. Sergei had plenty to drink and was a little tipsy, and decided he was in the perfect moment to get closer to his dancing partner. He hugged her and leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her sun-kissed shoulder. Then he placed a hand on her neck and kissed her lips. Alyona instinctively tightened her arm around his muscular shoulders and kissed him back. After a few brief passionate moments, Alyona regained her bearings and quickly flinched away.

"I think we need to go cool down and get some sleep." Alyona said calmly with a smile on her face, to make sure she wouldn't tear apart their friendship.

"I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me... I-" Sergei tried to apologize, but Alyona just smiled and walked away, looking for Rin. Sergei ran his hand through his hair. He cursed himself and walked in the other direction.

Alyona rubbed her shoulder, as if to get rid of the kiss Sergei just placed on her.

She searched for Rin and found her asleep with two other girls her age on a picnic blanket near a tree. She gently picked her up and held on to her tightly as the girl mumbled something in her sleep. Alyona walked back to her home up on the mountain side and in the thick forest. She walked up the front steps to her two story, white stone home, with lush green vines and red flowers creeping up the stone walls and around the columns that supported a balcony on the second floor.

Alyona closed and locked the door behind her and walked upstairs to her bedroom in the pitch dark. She placed the little girl on her bed and took off her shoes. She walked over to a doorway that led to a separate, small room for her clothes, a dresser, mirrors and a bath in the middle. The candles in the small room lit up as soon as Alyona walked in. She placed Rin's sandals on the marble floor next to her own and slipped out of her burgundy dress. She pulled out a long, blue silk robe and put it on. She searched for a smaller shirt that she could put on Rin. Sure it was a bit big for the girl but it was better than sleeping in clothes she wore when she played in the sand and grass. Alyona walked back out of the room and over to the bed. She prepared to change the girl into clean clothes when she noticed Rin wasn't there. Alyona frowned.

"Rin?" She asked and all the candles and torches in the room lit up. Alyona let out a deafening scream, dropped the shirt and backed up against the wall behind her. A young man with black hair, wearing a soot covered beige shirt, black pants and black boots stood in front of the bed. He was holding the now awake Rin in his arms.

"GET THE HELL OUT!" Alyona demanded, her hand on her chest, trying to calm her breathing. The man let Rin down and looked up. Alyona felt as if all the air in her lungs was knocked out of her. His amber eyes were so familiar, and gave away his identity. Alyona felt as if she stopped breathing and rushed over to the man and flung her arms around him, holding him tight around his shoulders, standing tiptoe on the ground. But his arms didn't budge. He didn't bother returning the embrace.

"Get off me." Sesshomaru growled, unsettling Alyona. She let go and took a step back, staring at him in confusion.

"Rin, come. We are going home." Sesshomaru commanded, his eyes fixed on Alyona.

"But...but...I want to stay with Alyona." Rin muttered, afraid to anger the man. Sesshomaru glanced at her with a questioning look. Rin backed away slightly from him and looked at Alyona.

"I like it better here...Lord Sesshomaru... I have friends here...the other children actually want to play with me... and I don't like Lady Mizuki, Lord Sesshomaru...and... you forget about me when she's around... Lady Alyona would never forget about me." Rin spoke her mind and rubbed her fingers in anxiety.

"Rin, I never forgot about you..." Sesshomaru was shocked by what the little girl told him.

"Yes you did, Lord Sesshomaru! If you didn't, how could I run away and disappear for over half a year?"

"Rin, I was looking for you as soon as Jaken found me and told me you had run away. I was away at war, how could I know what you were doing... Enough... Follow me if you wish." Sesshomaru momentarily returned to his typical, aloof self and began walking toward the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Alyona blocked the door. Sesshomaru glanced at her as if she were a parasite.

"Move."

"Pardon me, but I think I have every damn right to be in your way, seeing as how you managed to sneak into my city, break into my home and scare me half to death."

"Move or I'll do it for you."

"What is wrong with you, Sesshomaru?!" Alyona could not understand why Sesshomaru was acting like he did when they just met nearly four years ago.

"I wanted to ask you that question for years." Sesshomaru growled.

"Tell me, Sesshomaru, what is it that I have done to make you act like this? Why come all this way, break into my home, show yourself to me, if you were only here for Rin? You could of taken her while she was out of my sight." Alyona could not understand Sesshomaru's reasoning behind his actions. "Please... enlighten me as to what your ingenious plan was."

But all she received was his characteristic indifferent scowl. Alyona crossed her arms, bit her lip and nodded.

"Of course… how could I expect anything else… yet again I am undeserving of a simple explanation of yet another absurd stunt of yours. Your actions are never aligned with your intentions." Alyona said through grit teeth, completely disgusted with the way a man she risked dying for was acting like an inconsiderate stranger.

"You're one to talk. You should have just left without the damn letter." Sesshomaru grumbled, his eyes filled with fury.

"What letter are you two talking about?" It gave her an uncomfortable chill to hear about her nonexistent actions. "I could-"

Sesshomaru scoffed and pulled out a crumpled parchment from a pocket in his pants and threw it at her. The letter dropped to the floor while Alyona looked at Sesshomaru, not knowing what to expect. He walked past her out of the room without another word. Alyona bent down and picked up the letter that Sesshomaru had been left with two years ago. Alyona let out a heart wrenching sigh, unable to imagine Sesshomaru's position; reading such a letter from a woman he put his life on the line for, right after she disappeared.

"Go to sleep, Rin… if you are staying with me… I'll be back." Alyona told the confused Rin and ran out of the room after Sesshomaru, the letter in her hand. She ran down the stairs, trying to catch up with the man, who was already out of the house. Alyona rushed out the door, whispering "wait" a few times before stopping in front of Sesshomaru.

"Wait...please..." She blocked his path and stared at him. "I never wrote this..."

Sesshomaru ignored her completely and walked right past her. Frustrated, Alyona stepped in front of him again.

"Listen to me, for once!" She growled. Again, he ignored her and kept walking.

"How honorable..." Alyona scoffed. "I drive a knife into myself to save you, and yet you have the effrontery to walk past me and not spare a minute to listen to what I have to say... I'm sure your father would be proud."

Sesshomaru stopped, but did not turn toward her at first, just raised his head higher.

"Look at me..." Alyona pleaded. Sesshomaru seemed to hesitate for a moment, then turned and faced the girl.

"I couldn't have written this...I was forbidden to leave the lands, talk with anyone outside of the city, or even send anything out of these borders... And I've tried... but I failed, every time... I swear on my life I did not write this letter."

Sesshomaru's eyes lingered on the girls face for a moment, deep in thought. "Is that all?" He said coldly. Alyona was rendered speechless, not believing the arrogance coming off of him. Frowning, she turned back toward the house and walked up the steps, into the home, and closed the door behind her. She thought about lighting the deceiving letter on fire but a gut feeling steered her otherwise. She tore and crumpled the letter before throwing it onto the windowsill. Her hands rested on her forehead, as if helping her mind cope with everything that happened. Just when she lost all traces of hope to ever seeing Sesshomaru again, Rin miraculously finds her, her guardian trailing behind her. And there he was, those haunting amber eyes reminding her why she escaped, time and time again, and yet why she couldn't be free of him. The burning and heaviness in her chest at the thought of the man and his indifference was more painful than any battle wound. So she stood alone in the dark, despising and cursing herself for her lack of indifference toward him. To make matters worse, she remembered the kiss with Sergei, making her want to disappear into some dark abyss in fear of Sesshomaru witnessing that mishap. But instead, Alyona gathered herself, climbing the stairs. She walked into the room and saw the little girl sitting on the bed, hugging her knees.

"Is Lord Sesshomaru angry at me?" Rin asked nervously as Alyona made her way to the bed. Alyona sat down on the soft bed next to Rin.

"No, not at you." She whispered as she hugged the little girl and lie down. Rin cuddled closer to Alyona and closed her eyes.

"Did Lord Sesshomaru leave us?" Rin's voice trembled. Alyona had no answer for her, though she highly doubted he would leave the little girl.

"You won't leave me, will you?"

"Of course not… If you would like to stay with me, then you'll live here with me, and I will try and make you as happy and comfortable as I can."

The girl thought for a few moments. "As my mother?" Rin mumbled. Alyona glanced down at the child and kissed her forehead.

"Only if you'd like... Goodnight, Rin." It took Alyona hours to find sleep as her thoughts screamed through her head. Yet again her world was turned upside down within one day. Two years of reestablishing herself and stripping away whatever was left of her previous life were wiped away within mere hours. Her heart thrummed in fear and apprehension at Sesshomaru's next move. -It is impossible for it to be as simple as him coming here to ask Rin to come home. He will not simply leave. How is he here? How is Rin here? How is any of this happening? No matter what happens, no matter the distance, he finds me. He hunts me down relentlessly, yet does nothing once he has me cornered. Why? Why do you keep doing this Sesshomaru? You could have taken Rin and left before she found me, but you didn't! You could have killed me, you could have hurt me, you could have kissed me, yet you did nothing. You did the most cruel thing you could have… you did nothing and left me rattled and afraid of your apathy. Never have I been so petrified of you as when you do nothing.- Alyona glanced down at the sleeping child breathing deeply in her arms; her very presence a constant reminder of the man she feares most. She shut her eyes and agonized over what the next day would bring.


	12. Escape

Alyona awakened to the sound of her front door closing and someone rustling around downstairs. She opened her eyes and turned her head toward the door, listening in carefully: silence, followed by the swishing sound a dress makes when one walks in it. Alyona sat up in the bed, carefully pulling her body out from under Rin, whose head was now near the edge of the bed, her arms hanging off and her feet on Alyona's stomach. She stood up out of bed and walked to the door, leaving Rin to sleep longer. Alyona opened the door, walked out and quietly closed it behind her. Straightening herself up, Alyona rushed down the marble staircase, the hem of her blue silk dress snaking at her feet. She walked into the kitchen, from where she could hear rustling around.

"Good morning, mama." Alyona leaned against the wall as she observed her mother, in a long burgundy skirt and a white linen shirt, placing a decorated jug on one of the counters and a fresh bouquet of blue and red flowers into a vase nearby.

"Good morning, Alyona." She answered, a hint or nervousness in her voice.

"What are you doing here so early?" Alyona asked as she walked toward the window and stretched.

"Your uncle brought you a gift."

"Impressive..." Alyona looked out the window at the woods behind her house. It looked like it was about to rain outside. The skies were dark, as they are before the storms.

"You don't say... You know he has to make it clear to anyone that he's rich as a king."

"And greedy as a thief." Alyona turned back toward her mother, who seemed more and more agitated.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"No you are not. Why the rushing and the nervousness?"

Alyona's mother turned around. "Someone was arrested late at night. Your father is furious for no apparent reason, he will not speak to me or anyone else."

Alyona frowned. "Do you know who it was?"

"No."

Alyona glanced down at the floor, then walked up to her mother and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you for stopping by. Are you busy right now?"

"No. I will stop by your aunt's later on, but they are probably still asleep."

"Can you watch a little girl for me?"

Alyona's mother frowned. "Whose little girl?"

"Mine...well, not mine. She's an orphan. She lived with me in Japan."

"How did she get here?"

"The soldiers stationed there brought her with them."

"Well...yes, fine. But..." Alyona's mother felt a good deal confused. " Where are you going? And where is she? And how did that happen? You've got quite a bit of explaining to do..."

"She's still asleep upstairs, and I will go see my father. I won't be long, and then I'll explain everything."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Alyona's mother called after her as the young woman rushed up the stairs to her bedroom.

"That is for me to worry about."

Alyona walked into her dressing room and undressed. She quickly washed in the bathtub of warm water and dressed herself in a champagne colored layered silk gown, with woven black lace flowers on her chest and back, and her shoulders bare. She twisted her hair into a low chignon, securing it hastily with several hairpins. She put on a matching black coat with a hood and rushed back down to the front door. Her mother was in the main room, sitting on one of the divans, reading a book.

"I will be back soon." Alyona walked out of the front door before her mother could even say anything. She quickly marched down the cobblestone streets toward the military headquarters at the edge of the city, wondering who would infuriate her father so. Within twenty minutes, Alyona walked up the steps of the building and walked in, thunder rumbling outside. The guards looked up at her and let her pass, greeting her with a monotonous "Good morning, M'Lady."

"Good morning. Where is my father?" Alyona asked one of the main guards.

"In his office." The man answered.

"Thank you." Alyona walked down the stone hall and knocked on the large doors.

"Father?" She asked. No one answered, and the doors remained closed. Alyona knew her father was within, but was unwilling to open up, or too preoccupied. She knocked louder. Again, no response. Alyona pushed open the doors and walked in, closing them behind her.

Her father was having a heated conversation in a whisper with the young commander that she had recognized from the morning she first woke up here in her home city two years ago. Both men stopped and glared at her.

"Alyona, please, this is not the time." Her father announced.

"I think I have the right to know what is going on here, father. I think you are beginning to forget the post you assigned me."

Alyona's father stared at the girl, then glanced at the young man. "Fine. No use avoiding it. Anatoli, show her."

"Yes, General..." Anatoli hesitatingly answered to the demand, obviously annoyed. "Come." He told Alyona and walked toward an iron door behind him, to Alyona's right. Her father walked over to his desk and sat down, the look in his eye making Alyona's skin crawl. Anatoli opened the door and motioned for Alyona to walk in. She did, suspicious of the man, who seemed angry and irritated with her for some unspoken reason.

Alyona walked past one deserted, damp cell, another one with a chained, bearded, brawny man, who smiled a gap-toothed, lusty grin at her, another cell with a sleeping man, and stopped at the one Anatoli was glaring into. Inside was a man, with black hair, sitting on a metal cot, chains that fastened on the opposite walls holding his arms out to the side. His head was bent down and he seemed not to care that someone was there. Alyona recognized him, and was not the least bit surprised.

"Leave me." She gave a stern order to Anatoli. "I know who this man is."

"That's the problem." Anatoli answered coldly. She glanced at him.

"Did I not make myself clear, commander?" She hissed.

"As you wish." He snarled back, handed her the keys and left the cells.

A pair of amber orbs flashed up at her in the dark prison. Alyona opened the cell and walked in, the prisoner watching her every step. Her eyes inspected the man before her coldly. The two just kept glaring at each other for several long moments, neither flinching.

"Speak." Alyona demanded, as if she did not have any connection to the prisoner, as if he was another scumbag off the streets. Sesshomaru's haunting eyes simply kept glaring at her. Alyona knew Sesshomaru long enough to know he was going to keep his mouth shut until he felt like talking.

She smiled. "How is it that the 'great Lord Sesshomaru' is in chains, next to a lowlife bum who tried to rob a house?"

Sesshomaru's eyes were cold and vicious, like they were back when the two just met, not knowing who the other was. He slowly leaned in closer to Alyona, as if threatening her.

"Remember who you are talking to... I can rip through this entire city in a heartbeat." He snarled, fangs bared. Alyona raised her eyebrows.

"You...are threatening me? Shall I remind you what I am capable of?" Alyona stepped closer to him. He had a smirk in his eye and tugged on the chains, making them disconnect and fall to the cot. Before the metal could even clink with the cot, the chains stopped in midair and Sesshomaru felt the familiar sensation of drowning, but he kept glaring at Alyona with his usual cold eyes.

"I can stop your blood from flowing in a second. I can stop your heart from beating even faster... then what will you do?" She hissed at him.

Sesshomaru managed to stand up and stare down the woman. "No use threatening me with that. You won't do it."

Alyona scowled. Sesshomaru felt a pang of pain as his heart seemed to skip a beat. He took a deep, but short breath, barely sufficient enough to maintain himself.

"You can't do it." He growled weakly, and again felt the pain in his chest, more intense than the last time. Nothing in his body was in control the moment she tightened her grip on him, everything was still and surreal. Finally she let go. Sesshomaru attempted to calmly take deep breaths, then looked up at Alyona. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she had a blank, icy expression on her face. He stared at her for a moment, as if provoking her, until he felt a pain greater than he ever experienced. He collapsed to the floor, at Alyona's feet, clutching his chest and gasping for air. The woman remained immobile and glared down at Sesshomaru.

"Why are you in here? What have you done to anger my father?" Alyona demanded after Sesshomaru seemed to breathe slightly easier.

"You won't do it." Sesshomaru gasped and glanced up at her, still recovering from her mode of torture. She grit her teeth in frustration.

"Answer the question." She demanded cooly.

Sesshomaru glared at her for a moment then attempted to stand up once more.

"Talk." She threatened when Sesshomaru made it obvious he was unwilling to speak. His eyes flickered.

"Ask that sniveling coward why."

"Then why are you still in here? You could easily have escaped. Knowing you, you wouldn't let anyone put you in cuffs, or even come near you. So why did you?"

Sesshomaru smirked weakly. "Why don't you leave? You can't kill me. You're as useless as the rest of you fools."

Alyona eyed him in abhorrence. -That's not what you said to me when you promised me anything I wanted and begged for my forgiveness…- Again, Sesshomaru found himself on the floor at her feet, a searing pain in his chest. This time he was sure she was going to kill him. She didn't say a word, knowing there was no use in prying an answer from him; so she walked out the cell door, locking it behind her. She looked into the dim lit cage, seeing the amber-eyed man glaring at her while he tried to recover from the pain. Alyona mulled over the idea of throwing the key into the cell… so he would be able to leave back to Japan without destroying her city. She fumbled around with the keys, trying to decide what to do.

"Leave Rin, leave me, leave my people and my city be...go back to your significant life with your princess and never-ending commitment to lies and snobbery." Alyona said quietly and threw the key onto the jail cell floor before walking out of the prison into the room. She tried her best to suppress the anger and pain she felt.

"Why is that man in there?" Alyona asked, hate lacing her tone. Anatoli turned to the woman, while her father merely looked up from his chair.

"That scum tried to assassinate you and your family." Anatoli said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Alyona scoffed and raised her eyebrows at him. "Where is the evidence? The witnesses?"

"I saw it. I arrested him." Anatoli growled.

"When did you see this? Are you absolutely positive this stranger was attempting to kill us?"

"Are you questioning the validity of my testimony?"

"What does it sound like I am doing? Answer the damn question."

"He was reported breaking into your home with a knife on his belt."

"When?"

"The same time you came home."

"What were you doing outside my home? You have no jurisdiction over what I do- Has it ever crossed your mind that he came in just to speak with me? Or ask the orphan girl living with me to come back with him?" Alyona was flabbergasted. "And most importantly… why did you wait to arrest him AFTER he left the house?"

"There was only one watchman. He failed to alert the rest soon enough, and for that he is being punished."

"You are utterly incompetent." Alyona was astonished at how idiotic the man sounded. There were gaps left and right in whatever scheme this man was spinning.

"General. That man infiltrated our city, and attempted to kill your daughter. Why else would he make the journey here, cross all the distance, for a simple conversation? He must have planned to steal her back or kill her. There is no other logical explanation. It is all so obvious, I cannot understand the hesitations here."

"The little girl is essentially his daughter. He came here for her. If he wanted to kill me or if he came for me, why didn't he do anything? He could have killed me while I slept. But he didn't. And if your watchman was out there, did he not see him leave alone? If he was really there, he would have seen me outside with him. Explain that, then."

"Simple. He must have underestimated the situation. Perhaps he didn't know the girl was with you. More than likely, he wanted you to know he was here, and that he found you - to make you worry about when and what will be his next move. Psychological torment, if you will." Anatoli looked at her as if she was a foolish child.

Suspicions began to rise in Alyona's mind. - He's been tormenting me longer than you know. You're a stranger, you have no knowledge of anything that went on between us. Aside from my father, no one knows what happened. Dmitri was killed. You… Where were you?-

"Men can do absurd things when spurned by the woman they desire. He is no different."

"Now that is a very presumptuous statement."

"I saw him. I saw him wait for you, but you were long gone. No man awaits an enemy or someone of no significance like that. And when you never returned, how else was he supposed to understand that?" Anatoli practically lectured her. "This is why you shouldn't have seen him. You're far too biased, far too attached to have any further involvement-"

"Enough!" Alyona's father interrupted. "Anatoli... Leave the building. You are dismissed of your duties until further notice."

"General, I-"

"Did I not make myself clear? OUT!"

Anatoli scowled, but did not dare disobey the man. He nodded, reluctantly, and marched out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

The man with gray hair looked at his daughter for a while.

"What happened? What really happened?" Alyona crossed her arms and stood sternly in front of the carved desk. Her eyes bored through him, waiting for her father to answer her inquiries.

"You heard it yourself."

"I do not believe Anatoli. I don't trust him. He's up to something."

"Don't be foolish, Alyona."

"Nothing he claimed was logical. Why keep only one watchman if he meant to protect me? And even then, why did he not intervene when he saw Sesshomaru break in? … And he would have seen me come after Sesshomaru before he left. Sesshomaru was here for Rin, for the little girl. Nothing more. He hardly spoke to me. All he did was try and get Rin to come home with him. He wants nothing to do with me."

"Tell me why you would think that."

"The way he spoke… The things he said. He was furious with me. He had a letter, one I apparently wrote and left him with. It was not my handwriting - it was very close, but not close enough. I was hardly conscious during the entire journey home." Alyona pulled out the wrinkled and torn parchment from her pocket and handed it to her father. He read it carefully, examining the penmanship.

"Well, it certainly is not your hand, but a close mimic. But who would do this? What's the point? You were gone without a trace. Why leave a letter like this?"

"Do you believe me? Something is amiss." Alyona asked. Her father looked conflicted and there was a lengthy pause before he managed to say anything.

"I don't know… Even if I did, it's too late..."

Alyona frowned and shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Anatoli already notified the elders... even before me. If I had been here in the headquarters earlier..." Her father glanced at his daughter. "He's drawn too much attention. They will want to resolve this threat permanently."

A cold sweat drenched Alyona. "Permanently? Kill him?…But he's a demon, he can escape-"

Her father shook his head. "They know the extent of his strength... they know of his capabilities, and they will be prepared. They will not risk the city and more importantly, they will not risk endangering you any further."

Alyona stood up and straightened her black jacket. "I am tired of this... I've had enough..." She said quietly, not letting her fears show. "I never asked for this damn curse."

It hurt her father to hear those words, for when he and his wife found out that the elders chose their daughter as the guardian, to reestablish the original bloodline, they were distraught. Their daughter was condemned to a life of fear, constant caution, if not even seclusion. Yet Alyona never showed her hatred or fear of the power given to her. She always tried to reaffirm her parents and make them believe that she was content. It finally was eating away at the last bits of her strength.

Alyona's father did not know what to say, and dropped his head into his hands. Alyona left the room, closed the door behind her and stormed out of the military headquarters. Before she could exit the building, she saw Anatoli standing and huffing at the main door. He glanced up at her but before he could say anything she shoved him through the doors outside. He lost his footing and tripped down the stairs. The few passerbys stopped in their tracks and focused on the commotion.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Anatoli shouted as he slowly stood up, holding his face with his hands.

"You sleazy, conniving scoundrel..." Alyona walked down the stairs toward the man, who was now bleeding from his nose.

"You're insane." He grumbled, wiping the blood from his face.

"I'd like to see you in my place." She said and walked past him.

Alyona's father looked up from his hands at the entrance to the prison. He stood up, walked over to the door to his office, and locked it. He pulled the heavy curtains closed over the windows, and finally walked to the prison door. The general opened it and walked in, closing the door behind him. He marched toward Sesshomaru's cell, the thunder echoing inside the stone prison. He stopped in front of the demon's cell.

Sesshomaru was sitting on the cot, his back against the wall, one leg off the cot, the other on it, bent at the knee and his arm resting upon it, the key in his hand. He was looking at the general with a blank stare. The man saw the key in the demon's hand and glanced up at his face.

"Do not drink or eat anything they give you. They will not kill anyone today, two of the council members are not present for the ruling. Tonight is your chance. Get out. And fast."

Sesshomaru was surprised to hear the father of the woman who nearly killed him ten minutes ago telling him to escape from prison. He was also surprised the man spoke in Japanese, though not as surprised as when the commoners spoke the language to him as well.

"Don't bother chasing after my daughter, that will only jeopardize your freedom...and hers. Don't believe anything anyone says or anything you receive from her, unless she says it to your face or hands it to you herself. The letter that apparently made you chase her all the way here was never written by her either. She was completely unconscious until we were two days out to sea. You fell for a hoax." Alyona's father continued.

"That is not why I am here. I came for the orphan girl." Sesshomaru answered. The graying man scoffed and a weak smile crossed his face.

"Do you take me for a fool, boy?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "I knew you back when you had nothing but your gap toothed grin and wobbled around your father in diapers."

Sesshomaru unconsciously flushed red and looked away.

"You and Alyona were inseparable as kids. And now... You both go to great lengths to even catch a glimpse of one another. She told me everything that happened. I've lived twice as long on this earth than you have so far. Don't try and tell me that you're not here for my daughter... Any coward can hide his desires and pretend to not care, but it takes strength and courage to admit it, Sesshomaru." The man uttered and departed with no further words.

Sesshomaru ran his hands through his hair and sighed heavily. He thought about what Alyona's father had told him seconds ago. He felt like a fool. -I chase her around the world, then say it wasn't for her. Yet I do it over and over again. I want her and tell her I hate her. I shelter her, covet her, and then tell her face to face she's worthless... Fool... She's forgiven you, once, twice...she won't this time. How can she? I went too far. I destroyed everything… You damned fool!- Sesshomaru cursed himself. He felt as if it took a year of chasing her down to realize what he was doing, and who he had become. He stood up and paced around the cell. He stopped and slammed his fists against the wall, gritting his teeth in frustration. -How could I not see it? How could I believe that scratch of paper was from her? How could I let myself act so selfishly and childishly with her?! -

Alyona returned home, trying not to show her fear and sadness to her mother. She dismissed any questions she asked and excused herself into her study, on the other side of the marble staircase. Alyona's mother notified her that Rin was still asleep and left the house, sensing something was bothering her daughter. Alyona locked the door to her study. The room had high, arched ceilings, a marble column in each of the four corners of the room, a large window with paned glass, an elegant cherrywood, coffee velvet divan under it, shelves and bookcases lining the left wall, a desk with an oil lamp, a framed map above it, tapestries on the walls and flowers hung from pots suspended from the wall on each side of the window, and two miniature cherry blossoms framed the doorway.

Alyona walked into the room and took off her coat, hanging it on the back of the chair. She leaned over the windowsill and closed the windows shut, so the rain would not get into the room and wet everything. She sat down on the divan and looked out the window. Alyona could not hold back the tears any longer. Two years she silenced all her thoughts, her fears, her emotions and tears. She took out the hairpins at the back of her head and chucked them at the floor. -I can't take this any longer... What the hell did I do to deserve this?! I didn't ask for this God forsaken power- bullshit... its a curse...I can never live a normal life... Sesshomaru...I don't need your mind games on top of everything! How can you be so cruel?! Look what you brought me to… I nearly stopped your heart. I could have killed you faster than the blink of an eye.- Alyona tried to stop the hot tears, but all she could think of was Sesshomaru in pain on the floor in the cell at her feet. She wished she could undo her actions, she wished she could truly forget him by her own will, to truly despise him for all he was worth. But she knew she could cry and curse and wish all she wanted and nothing would change.

Rin's staccato footsteps echoed in the living room outside the study, making Alyona wipe the tears off her face and take a few deep breaths. The little girl popped up to the glass doors and peered into the room. The sleepy child smiled when she saw Alyona. The woman stood up and walked away from the couch, smiling back. She opened the door and hugged the little girl.

"Good morning, Rin. Did you sleep alright?"

"Yes. Where did you go this morning, Alyona?" Rin asked, still drowsy.

"Just to talk to my father..."

"Oh..." Rin retorted, glancing down at the ground. Alyona realized that she must have reminded her of Sesshomaru. She stood up and looked down at the girl.

"How about some breakfast, Rin?" She asked quietly.

"That would be lovely." The girl smiled and walked into the kitchen, Alyona following her.

It rained heavily that day. Nonetheless, Rin spent the whole day playing with a little red-haired, green eyed girl in the orphanage. Alyona did not see or speak to her father, and spent the entire day wandering the streets of the city, her mind racing with thoughts of Sesshomaru, what he could possibly be planning, and what she should be doing.

Alyona found Rin playing in the courtyard of the orphanage and called her back home. Alyona smiled and waved to the other children still playing in the courtyard, shielded from the rain. Rin ran up to Alyona, who put a cloak onto the girl, and pulled the hood over her head and smiled.

"Did you tell the nuns thank you for letting you in?" Alyona asked, in a motherly tone.

"Yes. I even brought them flowers!" Rin smiled back and said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Good, now let's go home, it is getting dark." Alyona took a firm hold of Rin's hand and walked her out of the orphanage and toward her secluded home. The city was dimly lit in twilight and the air was filled with the crisp smell of rain. The evening was warm and calm, with no wind and only the sound of crickets chirping and the soft murmur of those still out in the streets. Alyona and Rin made it home after the sun had set further behind the mountains and it was almost completely dark.

"Alright Rin, go upstairs and change into something clean." Alyona said as she set the keys to her home down on the marble windowsill in the main room. She took off her coat and hung it on the coat rack. Her fingers pulled down on the sleeves of her fitted navy blue wrap shirt. She stepped out of her black boots, pushing them aside from the door. The wind had tousled her long french braid, the rain curling the ends unshielded by her hood. She looked out the window toward the coast, seeing the pillars of the military headquarters. -You will face their wrath tomorrow Sesshomaru... What the hell are you doing? Why haven't you broken free yet?-

The general routinely pulled all of the curtains closed over the windows, and blew out all of the candles. He stopped in the dark as soon as he heard the jail door creak open. His hands reflexively descended to the sword on his belt as he looked out of the corner of his eyes behind him. A pair of amber orbs flashed faintly at him. The general loosened his grip on the sword. He turned toward his desk and picked up a pile of clothes from the chair.

Sesshomaru's eyes lingered on the sleeping guard by the prison door. The pile of clothing he received from Alyona's father matched the guard uniform exactly.

"Hurry." The elder man commanded and finished his routine preparations for departure. Sesshomaru did as he was bid, donning the tunic, armor and cloak of the guard.

"Are you ready?" The man asked the demon, reminding him of the plan he had laid out for him earlier that day. Sesshomaru walked over to the General, who was standing before his desk, a scroll of old parchment in his hands.

"Wait for my signal." The older man ordered and walked out of his office toward the main doors, calling the guards in the hall to his attention. The four men in the main hall gathered close to their general, who unrolled a scroll in his hands. In the dark office, the demon pulled the hood over his head, and the dim glow of his amber eyes was obscured, waiting for the perfect time to make his move. He heard receding footsteps as the general informed his soldiers of his plan for reinforcing parts of the prison. Sesshomaru slipped through the door toward the main entrance, keeping to the shadows. The guards were gone, following the general into one of the two side hallways as he laid out his plans. Sesshomaru reached the main door and awaited Alyona's father.

"Go inform the guards in each wing, I want every man aware of the new precautions before shift change. Return to your designated posts immediately after. I've posted a man in my office to guard the prison and I will do a rundown of the main floor before I leave." The general's voice announced in the shadows of the side hall, followed by the soldier's affirmation. He returned unaccompanied, retrieving his keys. He quickly paced the hall, as if confirming no one else was there, and unlocked the two doors exiting the building. He retrieved another scroll, carrying blueprints of the headquarters with markings on it, and unrolled it in a way Sesshomaru could see walking adjacent to him.

"It's no use for me to ask you not to bother seeing my daughter before you leave." Alyona's father mumbled quietly, pointing to the parchment as if the two were discussing whatever was on it. "And... I fear what will happen... I fear the choice I am certain she will make... but whatever happens... Sesshomaru... I beg you... as a father... keep her safe. Keep her unharmed."

Sesshomaru did not expect the words and glanced at the man next to him. The general held the young man's cold gaze, as if expecting him to say something. As they approached the imposing stone walls and double gate, the General began to speak and gesture at the map. He repeated the instructions he left the guards inside with to the hooded man next to him, pointing at various locations on the map. Then he turned to the guards standing watch in the two towers each side of the gate..

"Close it down. Goodnight, gentlemen." The two were granted access through the gates, and walked out into the chilly night. The general turned toward the gate and locked it with a strange key he kept hidden in a pocket sewn into the underside of his upper arm. One guard proceeded to lock the gates from the inside. After he finished, another guard walked into a vault like room and pulled the heavy, large iron lever toward himself, immersing the perimeter of the wall and both gates in a burning white flame. He walked back toward the guard station, whistling and spinning the keys on his finger. Sesshomaru tried his best not to look back and stare at the building's strange and puzzling security features.

Sesshomaru rolled up the scroll and returned it to the gray haired man. The general walked briskly, but calmly, as if he was simply rushing home, not escorting a convict. -I certainly need to debrief them on their security measures tomorrow once they find the sleeper and realize a prisoner is missing.- Alyona's father made a mental note to give his employees a convincing chewing as he continued pacing up the street.

"If any harm, any pain whatsoever comes to my daughter, Sesshomaru..." The general glared at the demon. "I swear on my soul that you will pay for it. You are not your father and you certainly do not replace him in my eyes... But my daughter chose you...and fate unfortunately allowed and apparently favored it... Once again, Sesshomaru... I beg of you, I plead that if she does choose to go with you... you keep her safe. You keep her out of danger. "

Sesshomaru kept looking ahead of him. "She will not leave."

"I know my daughter. She will...and I am afraid that soon, she will be no safer here than in Japan. Swear, swear on your life, your lands, your people... that my Alyona will be alive and well and unharmed."

Sesshomaru's ego managed to overwhelm his feelings and thoughts. "I've already made such promise to my father."

"And you broke it... multiple times over. How can I trust you with my daughter's life and wellbeing?"

Sesshomaru stopped walking and turned to the blue eyed man. "Is me leaving my father's empire barely defended for the sake of finding … her… not reason enough?" He wanted to say Rin, but he would be lying. He knew where she was all along. "As much as I despise it, I would give my life for her...and take however many to keep her safe." He growled, then turned and walked up the wooded hill to Alyona's villa.

"I hope and pray that there is truth behind those words." The general spoke over the rumble of the thunder and followed the demon.

Alyona was in the stable behind her home, brushing the mane of a chestnut stallion after feeding him. She placed the brush on the shelf in the horse's spacious pen, and walked back over to him.

"Isn't that better?" She asked, petting the stallion's shoulder. He nuzzled her hand and let out a soft grunt. Alyona smiled and rubbed his powerful neck. "Goodnight. " She whispered and rested her forehead against his. She closed the pen as she left, and locked the doors to the stall before making her way home. Alyona walked into her home, took off her boots and cape at the door, letting them dry, and jogged upstairs to her bedroom. She washed her hands in the sink. Rin was in the dressing room in a light green cotton night gown, sitting cross-legged in front of the mirror, humming, and brushing her hair. Alyona smiled and sat down behind the little girl, taking the brush from her and gently stroking her jet black hair.

"Did you have fun today?" She asked Rin.

"Yes, m'lady! We played hide and seek in the court yard, then the nun brought us pastries with apples in them! I got my feet wet though. I accidentally slipped and stepped into a puddle."

"Did you? You could get a cold. How long did you play with wet shoes?"

"Not too long. It was just before you c-" Rin was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Alyona looked at Rin's reflection in the mirror and listened closely. -What the hell? I locked the door...- She placed the brush on the floor and stood up.

"Stay here, Rin, and don't make a sound. Hide somewhere. If you hear something is wrong, run out through the balcony to the orphanage, alright?" Alyona whispered a warning. Rin nodded and stood up as well. Alyona grabbed a razored dagger from under her bed and closed the door to the bedroom behind her as she silently made her way toward the staircase. She peered into the main room from the railing and relaxed her muscles as she saw her father in the room.

"Damn it, you scared me." She said and sighed in relief. "It's alright Rin, it's just my father." Alyona said loudly and walked down the stairs.

"What's the matter? Why such a late visit?" She asked, twirling the dagger in her hand at her side. The General shut the door behind him.

"Would you stop that?" He grumbled, still fuming from the events of the day. "Why are you always so jumpy? It is not as if there's much crime happening here…ever."

"Sorry." Alyona steadied the blade in her hand. "But considering last night's incident-"

Another man appeared from behind the corner. Alyona's arm tensed and she gripped the weapon in her hand tightly.

"Don't." Her father warned as the second man pulled down his cape. His golden eyes flickered at her.

"Why are you here?" Alyona hissed.

"I let him out." Her father answered. Alyona's jaw nearly dropped.

"I need to speak with you, Nanami..." Sesshomaru glanced at the outraged young woman before him. "Alyona." He corrected himself.

"I think I have heard all you had to say."

"Alyona..." Sesshomaru remained collected and serious. Saying her real name was a bit unfamiliar. She glared at him in silence, then at her father, before storming off through the main room and hall into the study. Sesshomaru glanced at her father, who walked in the opposite direction past the kitchen into the dining room, and sank into one of the chairs. Sesshomaru walked into the study, Alyona glaring at him, and shut the doors behind him. The two peered at each other in silence, the room dimly lit by a triad of candles on the desk.

"Well? Speak." Alyona grumbled.

Sesshomaru just kept looking at her, at the beautiful woman before him, one who he coveted but was too proud to admit it. He fought every fiber of his being to momentarily tear down his indifferent, hardhearted frontage.

"I cannot do this any longer."

Alyona scoffed. She crossed her arms and raised her chin a little higher. "Is that all?" She mocked him. Sesshomaru frowned.

"You disappeared for two years...without a word... without a sign... All I had was that letter from you. One telling me to forget everything and that you would easily do so too. What was I supposed to think?! You nearly died, vanished from me and then you tell me that everything has been a waste of time?!" Sesshomaru's frustration was laced in his voice, and his expression was one of impatience and irritation. "I have a duty to protect my lands, my people. Yet I am here...for you."

Alyona scowled and put her dagger on the desk. "Perhaps you're not worthy of that duty."

Sesshomaru bit back his anger and let the comment slip by. "Yet I am here for you." He reiterated.

"You mean Rin. Isn't that what you said before?"

"Do you honestly think that I would let her out of my sight so far as for her to end up here? I knew she would lead me to you. I knew where she was every moment."

Alyona crossed her arms again. "And? She does not want to go back with you. You have nothing else here, so go." Alyona murmured as she made her way past him toward the door. Sesshomaru closed his eyes for a moment and grit his teeth. He was crawling in his own skin over the fact that he was opening up. Now that he was thinking about his actions, he was almost ashamed at his own behavior. He turned and grabbed Alyona's arm and pulled her in front of him.

"Let go." Alyona growled.

"No. Not until you stop the foolish-"

"LET GO OF ME!" She tried to pull her arm free, but Sesshomaru effortlessly twisted her around, crossing his arms, pinning hers to her chest, and then pressing her to himself, her back against his chest. Alyona squirmed and let out mumbled curses.

"Stop." Sesshomaru whispered.

"If you do not let me go right now, I will repeat today's jail visit." The young woman snarled.

"If that will make you listen, then so be it." Sesshomaru said and within a moment felt a sharp pain in his chest, but remained in place and kept his grip firm. His temper had run thin.

"Tell me, do you honestly think that after all I have done, after all the hell you put me through that I am here for nothing?! You've made a complete fool out of me ever since you appeared! I've done things I would never even think of for you!" The man nearly shouted.

"Then why do you change your mind every other day?! I'm the world to you one day, then a dreaded pest the next!" Alyona yelled, turning her head to look at Sesshomaru.

"I'm afraid, Nanami!" Sesshomaru snapped; he bellowed loud enough for the house to hear. The young woman glared at him, surprised. Alyona felt as if everything inside of her twisted upside down. She thought she must have misheard him.

"I'm afraid of becoming like my father. I'm afraid of meeting the same fate he has. I try to distance myself from you, but I cannot! I always end up looking for you!" His voice seemed to struggle with the words. It was as if he was revealing a dark secret. "I came here... I counted every second until I would see you. And when I did... you were… I saw you with him. What else could I have thought? After that damned letter?!"

"Oh and the princess in your home is just an irrelevant follower? Do not make yourself so innocent!" Alyona was furious that Sesshomaru insinuated her guilt, whereas he had a princess claiming to be his future wife, his queen.

"I did what had to be done! By bearing her and her father's presence I bought myself time to find you! Her father is Lord of the Northern Lands, who thinks I'm on the mainland ensuring another attack does not occur! He now swears allegiance in hopes of joining the two houses! Instead, I'm here having this foolish argument with you! Perhaps if you stop being so selfish, you would actually hear what I have to say..." Sesshomaru growled and shoved her away. Alyona stumbled and turned to face him. Thunder rumbled outside and rain battered the window.

"Selfish?! Don't you understand why I am here?! Why I cannot leave past these borders?! I bring pain and suffering and death wherever I go! Wars were fought in my name! I've been hunted like an animal ever since I could first walk! They've erased me from the world...Sesshomaru. Outside these walls, I am dead. GONE. My power nonexistent…" Alyona tried to drill the point home. The same point that was seared into her mind for two years. She began to believe it blindly quite a while ago, although there was an ever present nagging doubt in the back of her mind.

"I see no reason for you being here...Rin ran away from you. She doesn't want to live with you anymore. She says you tend to 'forget' about her." Alyona hissed. Sesshomaru scoffed.

"Too bad everyone knows exactly where you are. And none of you here seem to know what really is happening... you have been betrayed since the moment you arrived here. You are blissfully unaware that you are in a trap... betrayed by your own kin."

"Why should I believe you? You have deceived me enough." She growled. "I think it is time for you to leave... Lord Sesshomaru. There is nothing for you here."

Sesshomaru grimaced. Alyona knew what she was doing, tearing at his heart. She raised her head high, staring him down. "I believe you know the way out."

He looked at the young woman before him. She was beautiful, as ever, her skin dewy and flawless as porcelain, her eyes the color of the stormy seas, her lips pink as roses. Her eyes seemed to reach into his very soul. Sesshomaru's breath trembled, in both rage and sadness.

"I will not leave without you." He said.

"Get out." She threatened.

"I am not leaving you here. I swore to your father to keep you safe, and if I leave you here, I leave you in danger."

"Did I not make myself clear?" Alyona took a step toward Sesshomaru. "Leave! I do not want to ever see or hear of you again!"

Sesshomaru grit his teeth and swallowed his pride. He walked up to her, making Alyona reel backwards until her legs hit the divan under the window. She glared at the man, not knowing what to expect from him, and her eye quickly darted toward the blade resting on the table, then back at him. Sesshomaru locked his eyes with hers, and kneeled down. Alyona stood awestruck at his behavior. She kept staring at him.

"Come with me...please..." He whispered. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. I want you with me, safe from harm. "

"Who will hurt me here, Sesshomaru? I think you are the one I need protection from." Alyona remained heartless.

"Anatoli...but he's only the middle man. He's working for someone here-"

"Sesshomaru! You must hurry! Time is running out!" The general's voice warned from the main room.

"Alyona…please... come with me. I've made an oath to my father, to your father and to you... I cannot leave without you." Sesshomaru whispered. Alyona took a deep breath, shaking her head, then looked at Sesshomaru.

"I don't believe you, Sesshomaru. It all sounds like a hoax."

"I am begging you..." Sesshomaru whispered again, his eyes fixed on her. Alyona was sure every hell in existence had frozen over in that moment. Something deep inside her told her that she should go with him, that he was right about whatever was going on. But her mind said the opposite.

"Alyona!" Her father's voice boomed again, making Alyona flinch.

"Alright!" Alyona said in a frustrated whisper, still looking at Sesshomaru. "I'll go." She closed her eyes and shook her head, not believing what she had just agreed to. Sesshomaru stood up and Alyona immediately began to walk away. He caught her wrist and pulled her toward himself. She wrestled it out and grabbed her dagger.

"Don't touch me... " She growled and walked toward the door. "I hate you." She stormed out of the door and Sesshomaru heard her rush up the staircase and open another door. He turned toward the desk and rested his arms on it, hanging his head down. -It's happening again... She despises me. What do I have to do this time for her to forgive me?- Sesshomaru looked up, took a deep breath and walked out of the room, pulling the hood over his head.

Alyona walked into the dressing room, fuming, and snatched a harness for her swords from one of the shelves. She exchanged her light wrap shirt for a thicker, fitted, long sleeved silver shirt and a black leather bodice. She proceeded to raid Rin's sparse assortment of clothes for something more fitting of travel and found a pair of brown pants, a long-sleeved tunic and a hooded jacket for her. She walked over to the bed, where Rin was hiding under the blankets.

"Rin, please get up." Alyona said in a stern voice, laying out the clothes on the bed, knowing the girl wasn't sleeping. Rin peeked out from under the covers.

"Are you mad at me?" She barely whispered. Alyona looked at the girl.

"No, not you, my dove." She softened her tone. "We're leaving. Please get dressed, alright? I will be right back."

"But where are we-" Before Rin could finish, Alyona had already left the bedroom. She rushed toward the backdoor, slipped her razored and straight blade swords into the harness on her back, put on her boots and her jacket.

"Alyona, where are you going?" Her father demanded.

"Mother." Alyona said and left the house. She bolted downhill and down the street to her parents' mansion, closest to the coast. A single candle-lit window was glowing in the rainy night. She ran up the front steps toward the door and banged on it with her fist. Within a moment, a servant opened the door.

"M'Lady, what brings you so late at night?" The young woman with red hair, brown eyes, wearing a white nightgown asked.

"I need to speak with my mother." Alyona requested briefly. The servant closed the door.

"She is upstairs, m'lady."

Alyona mumbled a thank you and swiftly made her way up the grand staircase in the dark, and to the room down a hall that she had remembered since she was a child. She walked into the bedroom to find her mother in front of her vanity, taking off her earrings. She turned toward the door in surprise.

"Hello, mama." Alyona smiled and closed the door behind her.

"Hello, Alyonka. What are you doing here at night? Did something happen?" Her mother stood up and walked up to her daughter, hugging her tightly.

"No...yes..." Alyona answered.

"Well which is it?"

"I'm leaving...I don't have time to explain everything, but I will write to you as soon as I can. I just wanted to stop by and say goodbye."

"Wait… What?… where are you going? Why are you leaving?" Alyona's mother said in shock, concern laced in her voice. Alyona hesitated for a moment.

"Japan. Father will tell you the rest...but he apparently wants me to leave...for my own safety. I love you… I will write to you soon. Keep yourself safe." Alyona said franticly and kissed her mother's cheek.

"Alyona what is going on?!" Her mother panicked, not understanding why her daughter was telling her that she was leaving for a reason she didn't even seem to know. She stared at her daughter in horror.

"I have to go. I will be alright, do not worry about me. I just need to leave the city for a short while." Alyona tried to reassure her mother. "Goodbye mama. I promise I will tell you everything. I just don't have the time right now." She said, kissed her mother again and headed out the door. Her mother stood still and shocked.

"Alyona!" She yelled down the hall, and only heard the front door close in response. She cursed to herself and stormed off into her bedroom.

Alyona ran back to her home and bolted into the back door. The general was pacing back and forth in the main room, peering out the window every now and again. Sesshomaru stood still as a statue in the kitchen and stared at Alyona. She ignored him and rushed up the stairs, leaving her boots at the door.

"Rin!" Alyona asked as she opened the door to her bedroom. The little girl was already dressed and trying to braid her hair, standing in front of the bed. Alyona walked up to her and kneeled down to make sure the girl's shoes were on tight enough. She quickly looked up and helped Rin finish braiding her hair, before putting a jacket on the girl.

"Are you ready to go?" Alyona asked.

"Yes. But where are we going?"

"Back to Japan."

"Why?" Rin asked, confused.

"We are not safe here." Alyona said quietly and took the girl's hand in hers, and lead her out of the bedroom.

"Are we going back with Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked while being rushed down the stairs, but she heard no answer. Alyona let go of the girl and stopped at the foot of the staircase.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin shrieked and wrapped her arms around the demon.

"Come." The general said coldly and glanced at his daughter before walking out of the back door. Alyona walked past Sesshomaru, not even looking at him, and quickly stepped into her boots and pulled the hood over her head. She walked out of the house and after her father.

"Lord Sesshomaru, are you two fighting again? And are you taking me back to Lady Mizuki?" Rin asked as Sesshomaru picked her up.

"No, Mizuki was only there to keep her father's trust and his mouth shut." Sesshomaru answered quietly and followed Alyona. Rin was about to ask him about her, but decided to save it for another time.


	13. Return

The general lead them toward the city's south wall, guarding the only entrance to the city. They walked deeper into the forest, toward the mountain looming over the lake.

"Halt!" A harsh voice shouted a couple hundred feet away to the general's left. The man signaled with his hand for his daughter and Sesshomaru to stop. His pulse quickened as the unexpected visitor rushed toward him.

"Quickly, before he sees you! Run! Get out of here! For God's sake, go!" He franticly whispered. Alyona looked around to see where they could hide.

"Papa-" She was cut off by Sesshomaru's arm wrapping around her and dragging her away. Before she had a chance to say anything, she felt the air and rain bombard them and she could no longer feel the ground underneath her. -Not again...- Her hands clenched Sesshomaru's back tightly and she felt like she was slipping out of his arms. Rin, on the other hand, calmly furrowed her head between Sesshomaru's chest and Alyona's shoulder. Within moments, Alyona could feel the sensation of plummeting downward and her grip tightened. As soon as she felt the land beneath her, she let go of the demon and shoved him away, trying to catch her breath. Sesshomaru let Rin down and kept his eye on Alyona.

"Why did you do that?!" She hissed at him, standing up.

"We cannot be seen." Sesshomaru growled back.

"Couldn't you have at least said something?" Alyona snarled and pulled down her hood, her face wrought with anger and panic. -How will my father get away with this? What will they do to him?-

"Where are we?" Alyona tried to orient herself. Sesshomaru said nothing, turned his back on her and began to walk up hill in the forest. He reached a mossy rock outcropping among the pines and reached down, retrieving two swords from within the overgrown cracks.

"Hardly the time to be silent." She called after him. Rin watched Alyona's face closely, seeing the raging fire in her eyes. She took hold of Alyona's hand, quietly wishing she wasn't so harsh with Sesshomaru. She felt like she saw what Alyona couldn't... she saw how much the man was willing to do for her and how much he had changed. Rin squeezed Alyona's hand harder, but said nothing. Sesshomaru turned back, fastening his swords at his side as he walked up to Alyona. She tore him to pieces with her eyes, and he could anticipate the berating he was about to receive. With unseen speed he grabbed Alyona and Rin, and leapt into the rainy night before the woman had a chance to protest.

The rain had stopped when Sesshomaru shot down to the ground, Alyona ripping free of his grip the second his feet touched the ground. Rin continued to hold on to Sesshomaru, her arms wrapped around his neck. He held on to her gently, while he watched the color return to Alyona's cheeks.

"Please… can we walk for a change? My heart's in my ankles." She mumbled, still shaken.

"There is no other way to cross the seas." Sesshomaru shifted Rin's weight with his left arm. The young woman looked at him with utter horror and dread in her eyes. He gave in.

"Fine… we can walk to the coast."

But the trek to the coast of the small, uninhabited island proved to be too short of a reprieve as Alyona found herself facing Sesshomaru's outstretched hand. Rin dozed away, her head on his left shoulder. Alyona walked up to him reluctantly, reality not yet setting in. Two years she was hidden over a thousand miles away from the Great Dog Demon's son, yet even that was not enough. She stepped closer, avoiding his gaze. Her left arm wrapped around his shoulders, her right hand gripped his shirt under Rin's legs until her knuckles turned white. She shut her eyes once she felt Sesshomaru's arm wrap tightly around her waist, and silently cursed the world away as the cold sea air battered them once more.

Alyona's head pounded furiously enough to leave her cold to the world. She could not have said how long they've been traveling, all that was on her mind was her rage and anxiety. Alyona feared her father would be found out, and then it's anyone's guess what the punishment would be. Then there was the matter of her own life; safety and calm after a century of running for survival taken away from her within one short day. Now it is back to running, fighting, lying, and hiding.

Then it was over. The ground was back at her feet for more than several seconds and Sesshomaru loosened his grip. Alyona backed away, still avoiding his eyes. She straightened her clothes and pulled her hood lower over her head, disparaged that the rain persisted wherever they were. She looked around; yet another forest, hardly distinguishable from the rest. Rin's soft snores continued from the demon's shoulder as he started on his way through the trees. Alyona fought the instinct to run like hell was cracking open at her feet, but she knew it would be all in vain. She did not know where she was, or where she would go.

Sesshomaru lead Rin and Alyona to his hideout on top of the mountain. He grimaced as the wind rustled the trees around him. Occasionally he would pause and scan the forest around him, yet would say nothing and proceed to scowl. They arrived at dusk. Before any of them even reached the front steps of the house, Jaken shot out of the door to his master's feet.

"Oh, m'Lord! You have returned!" The toad squeaked happily, while his master simply walked past him.

"I even missed you, Rin!" Jaken beamed as he saw the little girl, who smiled and gave the toad demon a tight bear hug before going inside the home.

"But not you..." Jaken gulped when he saw Alyona. The woman furrowed her brow, taken aback by his brusqueness, and walked in behind Rin.

"Wait M'Lord!" Jaken squawked after his master, but he had already disappeared into the house.

The home looked exactly as Alyona remembered it. Except it felt so much more uncomfortable and tense then it did last time Alyona was in it. Rin hurried past Sesshomaru into her room, and launched herself unto her bed with a content exhale. The room was engulfed in a tense silence. Alyona stood in the shadows of the entrance, yet again debating whether or not to escape. Sesshomaru glanced over at her, not knowing what to say... or whether he should say anything at all. He began to undo the armor piece by piece, expectantly looking around his home. He heard the door to one of the back rooms open and the pitter-patter of feet make their way to the main room. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and opened them once more, this time to see Alyona staring at him. He turned toward the screen door to the hallway, as a frail young woman popped into the room, wearing a deep red, black and white kimono.

"Is that you Lord Sesshomaru? You have returned to me!" She chirped, analyzing the man's disguise. "You…What have you done? You are so… different!"

Sesshomaru didn't respond in anyway. He glanced behind him at Alyona, who, to his surprise, seemed to be frightened by the harmless princess.

"Why are you here?" He grumbled, undoing the armor piece by piece. -How did you find this place? How long have you been here?-

"M'Lord? I was awaiting you. My father sent me to safeguard your home." She asked, walking toward him. Sesshomaru stepped closer to the pit, without a word. Mizuki frowned, offended. She turned and stared at his back.

"You will return to your father immediately." He said coldly, taking off his cloak. "Take your incompetent guards with you."

Mizuki looked like she had the wind knocked out of her. She stared at Sesshomaru with confused eyes.

"What? But... I thought you had plans for us!" She protested. Sesshomaru looked irritated and flung his cloak down on the chair next to the wall and glared at the outraged princess.

"Did I not make myself clear?" He snarled. "The only plan for you is to leave this house."

"No, I will not leave! What is wrong with you? My father is your only ally, you wouldn't dare upset him!" Mizuki hissed back at the man. Sesshomaru's anger flared. His eyes were focused on Alyona, standing at the entrance, staring back at him with anxious eyes. Mizuki's attention darted between the two before stopping on Alyona. She glared at her like a vicious animal.

"And who is she?" Mizuki pointed at Alyona, now looking at her, unaffected, arms crossed. Mizuki's enraged eyes darted over to Sesshomaru, confused and fuming. The man seemed to be completely uninterested in the girl's inquiry.

"Are you deaf?!" Mizuki flung her hands around in frustration, scanning Nanami head to toe. "Who are you and what are you doing here?!" She turned and yelled at Alyona, seeing as Sesshomaru continued ignoring her and proceeded to untie the rest of his armor. Alyona didn't know how to respond, being in an awkward position as it was. Mizuki scoffed at the young woman's silence and stormed over to Sesshomaru, grabbing his arm to get his attention.

"Sesshomaru! I have every right and reason to know whats going on here! You would be wise to explain yourself, now!" Mizuki hissed at the demon.

Sesshomaru glared at the girl and effortlessly twisted his arm, grabbing hers in turn, and pushed her away, not unkindly. She stepped backwards, stumbled over her own dress and fell to the floor, looking at Sesshomaru with terrified eyes.

"You're a fool, threatening me. I will not repeat myself again. Gather your escorts and leave, before I force you to do so. Do not presume to dictate my alliances based on your father's convenience. His unnecessary actions do not render me indebted to him." The demon snarled at the girl on the floor, then walked out of the room, casting a warning glance at Alyona. Mizuki peered at Alyona through strands of pitch black hair on her porcelain face, tears in her brown eyes. Alyona shot a glance toward the door through which Sesshomaru left, and walked across the room to help the princess up.

"It's you. The one little Rin would whisper about to Sesshomaru, aren't you?" Mizuki's voice trembled and she clutched her kimono tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"You make it sound as if I want to be here. I would leave… but I cannot seem to outrun my hunter." Alyona answered the girl, as she helped her up. Along with her simmering anger and despair, there was a flash of something else in Mizuki's eyes. Alyona felt pity toward the girl - Sesshomaru could have certainly dealt with things better.- She glanced around and listened to make sure Sesshomaru wasn't returning, and began slowly making her way backwards toward the entrance. -Maybe there's no point... but that doesn't mean I won't try anyway.- Mizuki frowned and took a step toward her.

"What are you doing?" She asked quietly. Alyona looked at the princess, holding back the question for a few moments, wondering- no, hoping - Sesshomaru would overhear the conversation.

"Do you love him?"

Mizuki was confused by the foreigner. "Very much... Do you?"

Alyona smiled, tightening her sword harness. "Not even if all of hell freezes over." She said coldly.

Mizuki wiped the tears from her face and sniffled. "So... you didn't come here by your own will?"

"No." Alyona pulled the hood over her head and cautiously opened the door. "Have at it, Princess Mizuki." She muttered before turning and walking out of the house.

"Wait. Where are-" Mizuki began, but was cut short when the door closed.

Sesshomaru stood still against the wall of the hallway, stressing over what he just heard. He stared at one spot on the wall across from him, his amber eyes unflinching, almost dead. -Why did I bring her here? If I had known this foolish princess would be here I wouldn't have come within miles… Their scouts alerted the rest of her goons before I caught their scent. Mizuki will leave to her father and he will undoubtably turn against me. And Nanami… Damn… She has completely undone me… -

"How long have you been here?" Mizuki's voice shook Sesshomaru out of his daze. He glanced at the princess standing at the doorway, and once again ignored her.

"I don't understand you, Sesshomaru. Was I simply a compromise? Did you agree to take me in just so you could leave and steal her away, while your lands were guarded by my father?" Mizuki asked coldly, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Your father took those actions on his own. Nothing was promised. Last warning…Get out. You are nothing but a trespasser." Sesshomaru walked past her into the main room, and made his way to the front door, reality settling in on him.

"Have it your way… Take her." Mizuki commanded loudly, leaving the house through the one of the back doors. He heard the shuffling and footfalls of the soldiers emerging from their positions among the trees and from behind the house. Sesshomaru drew his sword and rushed toward the door with a simple order.

"Jaken… Get Rin."

Alyona stopped in her tracks as a dozen armor-clad soldiers filed out from behind the trees around her. Two archers on either side of her path notched their arrows, ready to loose them at her.

"I do apologize for this…" Mizuki's voice called out from behind her, draping herself in a hooded cloak. Her hand motioned four of the soldiers to apprehend the foreigner.

"Reconsider your order while you can." Sesshomaru threatened at the door.

There was no fear nor mercy in Alyona's gray eyes as the armed demons approached. She shot a frosty glance at Mizuki and her hands grasped the hilts of her paired swords, crossed over her back.

"Don't, they will shoot." Mizuki warned. Alyona kept her icy glare on the princess and drew her swords, one blade with a razored edge. The loosed arrows all but made it halfway to their target before stopping still in midair. Alyona's eyes flashed from an ethereal glow back to their normal stormy gray, the arrows falling to the ground with a wooden clink. Four soldiers lurched at her with swords before them. Dodging their swings, Alyona spun on the ground, kicking two of her attacker's legs out from under them before bolting up and slashing their throats as the soldiers hit the ground. She danced around the sluggish blows of the other two, her two swords fluid streaks of silver as she lashed out at her attackers. The rest of the small force had hardly enough time to approach the woman before Sesshomaru's whip shredded them to pieces. He spun round to the four men guarding the now horrified Mizuki, standing still to the side of the house. He had half a thought to end all of them, but the damage had been done regardless; killing her would only worsen the consequences.

"Leave." He snarled menacingly.

"You will pay for this…" Mizuki's voice trembled as she made her escape, guards trailing behind her.

Sesshomaru heard her rushing footfalls as Alyona darted off into the distance. With an irritated growl, he walked back into the house for Rin.

Alyona ran as fast as her legs would allow, searching for a stream that she knew was in the vicinity. She finally found it and jumped into its shallow waters, hoping Sesshomaru would lose her scent and the demon blood if he was after her, not that the rain wouldn't take care of that. Alyona hurried upriver, not knowing what she was going to do. She didn't know if she wanted to scream or to cry, to keep running or just give up and let Sesshomaru find her. -I cannot do this much longer...- Alyona felt as if the life was being sucked out of her, her state of mind unbearable. Just when everything settled in, when her life had been rebuilt, he reappeared to tear it down beyond repair. There was no returning home, any trust in her and her family diminished to nothing but wishful thinking. Now she would have the northern demon clan at her heels for her life too. With his every action, her life is only endangered further. He had tormented her for over two centuries, and he was not going to stop. Alyona felt cornered, like prey running from a predator that knew where she was at any given moment. -I should have killed him when I had the chance. He will never stop. What does he want from me?! Why can't he be content with all the princesses that fall head over heels for him?! Why chase me only to bring me pain?! I'm fed up with his sadistic game…- Alyona kept running, wanting to fall down and disappear, but she couldn't. No tears would come out, and her legs would not stop.

Thud. Alyona glanced behind her, but saw nothing. She stopped and looked around. The cold, clear waters of the small stream rushed past her feet. Crickets chirped on the shores, and a breeze rustled the trees, swaying them back and forth gently. Alyona took a few deep breaths and scanned the area around her. -I know it's you.- She took another deep breath and darted off up the stream once again. After a few seconds she jumped on land, seeing as water had no affect on Sesshomaru's tracking. She ran without looking back, and eventually ended up on the edge of a cliff overlooking the same valley Sesshomaru's mountain hideout did. Alyona let out a frustrated growl and unsavory phrase as her arms dropped to her sides.

"How much longer are you planning to run?" A deep voice called from behind her.

Alyona shut her eyes, and every muscle in her face tensed. She opened them again and grit her teeth, anger boiling her blood.

"How much longer are you going to chase me?" She snarled back.

"As long as it takes."

"Does it ever occur to you that you do not know what you are doing? I am not your puppet! I have my own life, and I'm not here for your amusement." Alyona turned to face the man. He stood about ten feet away from her, still in the guard uniform, his hair black, his golden eyes glowing eerily.

"You think this is a game? That I find this entertaining? Nanami-" Sesshomaru stopped briefly, ever so slightly annoyed by not remembering to use her real name. "Alyona… take a long look at me... at what you have made me do. I've become weak, risking everything - all for you! I have ripped myself to shreds to get to you! Just to hear your voice one more time, just to see you near me! How much more obvious do I have to be, Nanami?! Is it honestly not apparent to you?! Nearly three years back there would be no chance in hell I would stoop so low as to live and play as a pathetic human for months to acquire or accomplish anything, much less find someone I knew centuries ago! I would never have allowed myself to abandon my father's empire just for a woman! A woman who inadvertently led my father to that pitiful human! Yet here I am! A mere shell of myself! And you think I'm playing a game?!" Sesshomaru lost his patience, and finally lashed out at the young woman, inching closer and closer to her. Alyona frowned, finding it unusual to be called by her Japanese name, and a hundredfold more unusual and disturbing -to some degree- to hear Sesshomaru so distraught. The stone cold demon was crumbling to pieces right before her eyes.

"You did this to yourself, Sesshomaru! You could have forgotten everything and went on with your life a hundred times over, but you decided against it! You could have lived your life truly believing I was the cause of your father's demise, of why you have a half demon brother, but you do not! His actions were his own and you know that! You could have learned to hate me for his death, yet you hunt me down no matter where I turn! You could have ended this twice over and left me to my own fate!" Alyona shouted, frustrated and feeling as if she would implode from all the turmoil inside her.

Sesshomaru stared at the woman, her words resonating in his mind. He looked at her in silence, realizing she was right.

"Everything I had done was to keep you safe." He whispered.

"Then why absolutely demolish my life? Why would you condemn me and then find me and steal me away, then start it all over again, and again, and again?! I can't handle it any longer! You've ruined everything through and through! How can you expect me to stay by your side when I know this could and will happen again?! I do not want to be anywhere near you! I hate you! I absolutely despise you! If I never see or hear from you ever again it would be too soon! Just leave me! Leave me alone or if you can't, you might as well kill me! God knows you're doing it already! I much rather you just throw me off this damn rock now, than have you do this to me for the rest of my life!" Alyona screamed in Sesshomaru's face, tears finally making their way to the surface. Her emotions were clearly written on her, and she looked drained, no energy left whatsoever. Sesshomaru kept his eyes fixed on her, completely lost in what to say or do. He grit his teeth and his jaw tensed, not letting a shred of emotion show. Alyona knew his answer. There was no chance he would let her slip away. He would hold on to her forever, even against her own will. Alyona straightened her facial expressions, the icy glare returning, formulating one last all-or-nothing plan to escape as she walked backwards to the edge of the cliff. She balanced on her toes and stared daggers at the man. Sesshomaru felt a cold sweat drench him and his stomach seemed to turn inside out.

"Don't..." He whispered, but no sound came out. Alyona jumped back into the dark abyss, spanning hundreds of feet above jagged rocks and twisted trees, ready to engulf anything unfortunate enough to fall into its jaws. Sesshomaru dove off the cliff right after Alyona, sure he had lost years of his life in a matter of seconds from the indescribable fear of her being splattered against the rocks. He plummeted down into the frigid air, the wind lashing out at him, as if trying to stop him from reaching Alyona. The woman was tumbling down fast, not making a single sound, her hair dancing wildly around her. Sesshomaru managed to propel down fast enough to reach her in a matter of milliseconds, each of which seemed endless; constantly fearing he would hear the bonechilling sound of Alyona's body hitting one of the jagged rocks. He swiftly grabbed the young woman and pressed her tight against his own body, scared to death of letting her go. He leapt over to a ledge sticking out of the cliffside and managed to reach the top of the ridge through Alyona's favorite method of just soaring over everything in a matter of milliseconds. Sesshomaru landed near the stream, a safe, long distance away from the cliffside, and dropped to his knees, Alyona in his arms. He let her down on the ground and dropped his head, panting heavily. Alyona was still and kept looking up at the sky with empty eyes, not believing what had just happened.

"Why... the hell ... did you do that?" Sesshomaru panted. Alyona remained silent, and still as a statue. Her jaw tensed and she clenched her fists tight enough to cut circulation to her fingers. Her mind was blank, yet she felt like a thousand thoughts were racing through her each moment.

Not hearing a response, Sesshomaru glanced up and leaned over Alyona. He gently brushed away stray hairs from her pale face and carefully caressed the soft skin on her cheek, as if it was a treasure which would break with any touch. Alyona's eyes slowly changed their focus to Sesshomaru's amber orbs. He lowered his head and rested his forehead on her shoulder, only to miss Nanami's swift cringe. Her fists clenched tighter. She shut her eyes and attempted to reel in her ferocious facial expression, to no avail.

"You'll kill me faster than I could ever kill you." He spoke quietly, his breathing rapid and his body shaking.

The demon kept gazing at the silent woman beneath him, watching her glistening black lashes blink weakly while her silvery blue eyes stared off into nothing. His thumb gently traced the cupid's bow of her upper lip, rose red and soft, admiring her stoic face. He could see the muscles of her jaw tense briefly and relax.

"Why would you ever do that?" He asked her. Alyona closed her eyes and turned away, swallowing a lump in her throat. Sesshomaru frowned and carefully turned her face toward him again. She opened her eyes and looked at the man, trying to decide how she was going to refrain from killing him.

"I need the truth... please Nanami...Is everything I do to protect you in vain? Do you despise me to such extent that you are willing to kill yourself to avoid me?" Sesshomaru questioned, not able to sum up all his inquiries into one simple little question.

Alyona blinked weakly and opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't bring herself to say anything …polite.

"The truth, Nanami..." This time he said it sternly. She bit her lip and shook her head… and started laughing.

Sesshomaru frowned, disturbed by her sudden outburst. Her hands covered her face as she laughed, out of hopelessness and frustration.

"Unbelievable. Seems there is no way I can escape from you. And here I was thinking that would be my perfect plan to get away…" She finally spoke, looking at Sesshomaru with utter shock and disbelief. His eyes were wide and he had no idea what to think. Alyona sat up with a sigh, and shook her head once again, no longer laughing. Swiftly and gracefully, her left hand swung round and grabbed Sesshomaru by his neck and pushed him to the ground as she sat on top of him. Her hand gripped his muscular neck as she lowered her face to be barely above his.

"No matter what I do, you find me, and stop me." She snarled, enraged. In that moment, there was nothing sweeter in the world for her than the opportunity to crush the life out of him.

"You wanted me to stand back and let you end your life?" Sesshomaru managed, allowing the woman to do what she pleased, for now.

"Imbecile… Have you forgotten what I behold? It was my chance to escape." She hissed. -Ingrate, I would have slowed the fall and landed safely and would have been long gone if you would have stayed where you were, thinking I died. But you're daft enough to jump after me.-

"You-" Sesshomaru was dumbfounded.

"Shut up!" Alyona growled. "It is taking every fiber of my being to stop my hands from killing you." Her hand crushed his throat a bit more, making it more challenging for Sesshomaru to breathe, yet he didn't budge. Alyona nearly bit her lip to blood, wondering why she was holding back. Finally, she let out a frustrated, enraged cry and slapped him with all her might before she stood up and turned away from the man. She took couple steps, her hands on her head, trying to calm herself. She looked around her, trying to gain her bearings and make her way toward her recluse dwelling. She cursed in her northern language, not being able to discern in which direction she had to go. She used the tree branches and any moss to establish a compass but she had no idea there she was within the country. She had run in too many different directions to even know where she was.

'Where the hell are we?"

Sesshomaru sat up, still stupefied by her actions. He sat slouched, frowning and glaring at Alyona. A red mark was slowly appearing on the side of his face. He was at a loss for words, his mind struggling to process what just happened.

"You are insane." He finally managed.

Alyona turned back toward the man still on the ground and scowled.

"Should there be any surprise?" She said acerbically. Sesshomaru was annoyed with the sarcastic response, though he wasn't expecting anything else.

"This is comical to you?"

Alyona's eyes flashed fire, her jaw tensed and she stormed off - in any direction. She didn't care where she was going, as long as she was no longer standing still and near the man.

Sesshomaru watched her step away silently, still reeling. -She is fire and ice all in one.- After several minutes, he raised himself up from the ground and headed back toward the house in search of Rin and Jaken. He found them slowly making their way away from the home. Rin was asleep on top of Ah-Un, oblivious to the slain demons they passed. Jaken was leading the dragon as he grumbled to himself.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" He squeaked with relief.

"Do not fall behind." Sesshomaru ordered and chased after Alyona, leaving Jaken scampering atop of Ah-Un, hardly keeping up with his master.

Sesshomaru swiftly caught up to Alyona.

"Where are you going?" He asked, keeping his distance from the fuming young woman. She didn't answer him, she didn't even glance back to see him behind her. Logically, there would only be one place she could go and wait out her next move - the mansion. If that was her destination, she was not treading in the right direction.

"You're not getting any closer to the old mansion." Finally that caught her attention; she stopped and glanced back at him, confirming his speculation. He caught her gaze, which was one of exhaustion, despair and anger. Sesshomaru turned and began walking in the proper direction. She glared at him with dread, knowing she had to follow if she wanted to reach her old home. Reluctantly she drudged on behind him.


	14. A Game We Play

Neither said a word. Sesshomaru kept a steady pace and did not glance back even once. They walked for hours before they reached the mansion. Sesshomaru stopped several yards outside the door. Alyona glared at him as she walked up, guessing why he was hesitant. Despite all his misgivings, he had manners. The two of them stopped and stared at each other while Alyona debated her next move - be a gracious host or tell him to piss off.

She said nothing, walked up to her old home and opened the door. She walked in, lighting up the large room. She made it into the main sitting room, fuming but not irrational. Nanami sighed and shook her head at what she was about to do.

Sesshomaru was in a daze. He couldn't fully come to terms with what just happened. Alyona's insane stunt had him on edge. She was desperate enough to get away from him to launch herself off a cliff. He glared at the ground, hands on his hips, as he contemplated the events of the past few days and his next move. He heard Ah-Un approaching a short distance away. He noticed Nanami standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest. She still sported the icy glare but she tilted her head and motioned for him to come inside. Typical of the Alyona - Sesshomaru encounter, there were a few seconds of staring at each other before making a move. He cautiously walked up to the entrance and stopped in front of Alyona.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken's voice shouted from atop the dragon as it landed in front of the house. Drowsy Rin followed the imp as he made his way toward his master. Alyona glowered at Sesshomaru, gritting her teeth.

"There's a guest chamber you may stay in for the night." She muttered quietly before turning back into her home. Sesshomaru followed her in. He wanted to reach out for her hand and stop her and bombard her with questions. Even yell at her for nearly giving him a heart attack and ask how she could do something so stupid and insane. But he didn't. He let her slip quietly into the darkness of the hallway and stared into the shadows. Rin cautiously stepped into the room, her curious eyes still sleepy. She stumbled over to Sesshomaru and took hold of his hand, leaning against his leg.

"Rin. Go to Nanami." His hand gently pushed her toward the hall Nanami disappeared into. Rin nodded and tottered down the hall in search of the woman. She found her in a bedchamber at the back of the house.

"Lady Nanami?" She whispered, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The honey haired woman turned toward the girl while she continued to straighten up the room. She glanced around the chamber frowning. -This place is layered with dust, untouched since last time I was here. Yet the main room… Someone has been visiting my home while I was away.- She turned her attention back to Rin, after shaking all the dust from the bedsheets.

"You may sleep here Rin… I apologize it is a bit dusty, but you should be alright for tonight." Alyona shook out the pillows and blankets before placing them back on the bed. She opened the doors to the gardens, to let the chilly crisp night air into the room. Alyona felt Rin's arms wrap around her waist as she looked out into the overgrown garden.

"I'm so glad you're here. I'm happy you didn't stay behind." The girl murmured.

Alyona rested her hand on Rin's tangle of brown hair. -Remind Sesshomaru to thank you… You're the only reason I am still here.- She doubted the truth of her own thoughts.

"I will go wash up before sleep… would you like to come as well?" Alyona said instead.

Sesshomaru gazed around the room, and elected to sit down on the chaise lounge near him. He had sent Jaken to fetch food for Rin and keep an eye out for any intruders. He lowered his head into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. The extent of the situation finally settled in. -The scene with Mizuki is bound to have repercussions- a near guarantee my lands will be under siege from the North. Someone's bound to seek out Nanami soon enough. Where will she go then? What will be of us? - Hours drifted by uneventfully as he contemplated the future.

Soft footsteps resonated from the dark hallway and drew closer. Sesshomaru focused on the sound but made no movements, laying still on the lounge. The footsteps stopped and the room fell silent. The man moved his head slightly to the side to check the room. Nanami stood a couple yards away. Her hair was undone, cascading in loose curls over her shoulder, the ends damp. Sesshomaru sat up straight on the edge and faced the young woman. She walked up to him in a simple, flowing dark emerald kimono and set down a dark bottle with two chalices on the end table nearby and pulled it toward the chaise lounge, filling the room with a scraping noise. Sesshomaru watched her, baffled. Was she going to poison him?

Pulling up a beautiful armchair with ivory velvet cloth, she sat down straight across from him, yet said nothing. Her eyes glimpsed Sesshomaru's amber orbs. He looked so different in this disguise. Her slender fingers grasped the bottle and poured a white wine into both chalices. She handed one to Sesshomaru, who kept staring at the enchantress, not understanding what she was doing, before reluctantly accepting the glass.

"She's sleeping." Nanami kept looking at the man before her, no longer fuming, her face betraying no emotion. She had no way of eluding him. He would always find her. Running was no longer a viable option - she was only left with befriending her nightmare and her enemy, keeping him under her control. Her finger traced the rim of the glass as she looked into the sheen of the wine inside. She took a sizable gulp of her drink. It was from some far off land, a crisp and clean tasting elixir.

"Lets talk." She muttered. Sesshomaru was dumbfounded. This woman has been throwing him for a loop all day. Now she offers him drink and wants to have a civilized conversation? After jumping off a cliff? The man peered at his chalice and took a swig of its contents. The wine was refreshing and seemed appropriate at the time; though in his current state he would even dare take down something stronger.

"Lets." He grumbled back.

"Might be our last chance before someone sends armies after us." She took another sip.

Sesshomaru looked at the woman in front of her, and the reality of their situation set in on him once again. He followed his thoughts with a large gulp of wine. It seemed as if the woman read his mind. She scoffed gently and smiled a weak, hopeless smile.

"Escape one trap only to land in another." She finished her drink. Sesshomaru glared at her.

"That is no juice in your cup."

"Mm. It is much better than that." She poured herself another glass, confounding Sesshomaru. "I intend to enjoy it for it may be the last time in a long time. I'm sure life will get no easier from now on."

"I…am not certain of what the future holds, and what actions to take."

"Neither am I." Nanami ran her finger over the rim of her glass. Several moments of silence passed by between them. Disturbed only by the crackling in the fire pit, the groans of a home and the distant, muffled rumble of the springs running in the bath house.

Nanami listened in on the trickling water, keeping her thoughts to herself. -I don't want to ponder it any longer… I just wish to hide from the world and everyone in it for a while… I want to live a normal, uneventful, calm life. I want to have casual conversations with people, with friends, I want a home…-

"How did you know where to find me?" She asked, to escape her racing thoughts.

"Rin showed me."

"But how did she make it so far?"

"She's an orphan, Nanami. She lived most of her life running from place to place. She knew how to slip by Jaken. About a year ago she went to the coast where you were taken away and she must have said enough to convince them to take her along. I never let her out of my sight. She was just a little girl in search of a safe haven with the only other person she trusted. She posed no threat, it was easy for your father's men to take pity on her and let her tag along."

"Much like you took pity on her?"

"Rin was slaughtered by wolves, when I found her, I sought to test my father's sword."

"Mm." Nanami crossed her legs and tilted her head at Sesshomaru, awarding him a doubtful look.

He furrowed his brow. "She followed me ever since."

Yet again silence settled in between them, each listening to any disturbance outside. Every creak or shuffle sent Sesshomaru's senses into alert. His thoughts drifted to the little girl sleeping soundly. -I will have to guard her incessantly… She is an easy target for my foes… She doesn't deserve to live in fear ever again.-

"You know she is not safe here… Not with you, nor with me… She needs to be with her kind, and far from the prices on both our heads." Nanami muttered after a while, as if reading his thoughts.

This time, Sesshomaru refilled his cup and took a swig, keeping his eyes on Nanami. "You are not the first to say so." Yet he did not explain ay further.

Nanami scowled. "Expletive." She turned to her wine, disappointed that her curiosity wasn't relieved.

"The old priestess… Kaede. She provided me with similar advice, offering to take Rin in." Sesshomaru revealed, though with a hint of indifference. Nanami caught on to his bluff, seeing his thoughts lingered on the offer often enough. She kept watching him inquisitively, her finger still resting on the rim of her glass.

"There is no better option… She IS a human child, she needs to learn basic skills, culture, the ways of her kind before it is too late… She will be safe from those hunting you and I." Nanami stopped herself before she voiced the rest of her thoughts. - Inuyasha is no doubt still around the village, he has no part in this and he is too kindhearted not to protect Rin. Surely Sesshomaru can see the truth in that. Rin needs to learn to be human, and what better place than under his brother's protection.-

Sesshomaru did not grant her an answer just yet, but the brief look in his eyes signaled he knew the truth in her and Kaede's plea. Nanami decided not to press the issue further, feeling her message seeped deep enough into his thoughts. She reached out and took hold of his wrist, inspecting his right forearm. She frowned, looking at his now black hair before brushing her fingers over where his markings used to be.

"How did you manage that? Is it permanent?"

Sesshomaru never took his eyes off of her curious lustrous gray ones. He could feel the wine warming his body. "No."

Nanami drew her hand back and rested her chin on it. "Good." She muttered.

"Why so inquisitive all of a sudden?"

"I'm hiding from reality." She answered bluntly, before revisiting her goblet. Sesshomaru was perplexed. -Is she doing this on purpose? An hour ago she wanted to throttle me. Now it's small talk and wine.-

"I'm failing to understand you."

Nanami sighed and straightened her back. "Evidently, our paths are intertwined, one way or another. I cannot be rid of you no matter what I try… Not to mention the repercussions of both our actions will not be trivial. You'll likely be faced with wrath and war… I'll face more hunters, assassins, war, my family will most likely be taken hostage to return me home, where yet another trap, another betrayal lays in waiting." She paused a moment, gauging his reaction. "So tell me… is there anything so wrong with me wanting a brief escape? … Makes the wine taste all the more sweet."

Sesshomaru saw the truth in her words and saw no need to add his own. He drank his wine instead.

"You still have me going in circles. First you wish to disappear and be rid of me, now it's friendly conversation with a full cup in hand…"

The white wine gave Nanami a pink flush to her cheeks, and a glint to her eye. He felt feverish himself, his skin warm and his mind slightly clouded. He watched her; sitting there, legs crossed, her hairdo coming undone gracefully, strand by gilded strand, her eyes silvery storms piercing his soul. Nanami tilted her head to the side -I'm trying a new tactic.-

"A taste of your own medicine… not to your liking, is it?"

Sesshomaru tensed his jaw, a flash of anger danced across his eyes. He took another sip of his wine and sat back, a faint smile across his face.

"I'm better at it." He remarked softly, a trace of wickedness in his voice. Nanami's brows raised and she scoffed.

"Oh?" She returned a mischievous coy smile. Sesshomaru wasn't sure of what to expect from Nanami. Anything was possible. So he kept his wicked smirk, and watched her wordlessly. Taking that as her answer, she took hold of her dark emerald silk skirts and stood up, wine goblet in hand. She sauntered over to the man, watching curiosity and apprehension fill his golden eyes. She placed her slender hand on his right shoulder as she sat herself down across his lap. She crossed her legs, putting her arm around his shoulders and drank her wine, her eyes glimmering roguishly as she watched his reaction.

"Just what I would have you think." She whispered demurely, yet her words were anything but. His expression remained stone but his eyes flickered with astonishment. She had a mischievous smile and a proud look in her eye. She raised her cup to her lips, but Sesshomaru's hand stopped it and took it from her grasp. He set the cup down on the table and took her by her chin, his other hand snaking up her back to her waist. His fingers traced the smooth contours of her cheek, as his eyes drank up the blue-gray depths of hers. She had been gone such a long time, far away in a secluded land, far from him and out of his grasp. Yet her hold on him only tightened with each day. Sesshomaru hated her for it. But the more he denied it, the more she haunted him. The more his father's memory haunted him. His fingers brushed one of her loose strands of fair hair from her face, mesmerized by the way the fire glinted off it as it were spun gold.

Nanami felt lost as to what to make of his affection. Part of her still burned with rage at his actions, yet another wanted him to silence her thoughts with a passionate kiss, and a third wanted to let him fall for her even further only to crush him in return. Her hold on him was tightening; something she could use to her advantage. -But… what do I truly want?-

Sesshomaru moved a hand to her right hip, his other caressing her neck, his thumb brushing past the angle of her jaw. His expression remained cold, as if he was simply inspecting an oddity before him. But his eyes gave way to a flicker of want, of longing and a fleeting glimpse of adoration. Her scent was intoxicating to him; woody, laced with jasmine and blossoms, hinted with lemon. To him, she was like a dewy morning in spring. Her satin smooth skin, her rose petal lips and the warmth of her body so close to him sent Sesshomaru's pulse skyward, every fiber of his being wanting her.

"I know what you are doing, Nanami." He muttered, withdrawing his left hand from her long neck, resting his arm on her knee. Nanami's eyes lingered on his, the fingers of her right hand tracing the missing marks down his defined cheekbones before following the line of his chiseled jaw. Her arm draped tighter over his broad shoulders, his sinewy back ever straight and proud.

"Will you stop me?" She whispered softly, her index finger pausing on his perpetually tight-lipped mouth. -Certainly worked last time…-

His aurelian eyes scolded her, her simple question insinuating the painful truth. He cursed the crisp wine, the glow of the flame, the cool caress of Nanami's emerald silks against him and the heat resonating from her luminous skin. Most of all he cursed her eyes; the dark blue rims of her iris gave way to a shimmering silver speckled with sea-blue - esoteric and intriguing, candid yet cunning all in one. He despised how her enigmatic discerning orbs penetrated deep down into his soul each time she held his gaze.

"CAN you stop me?" She whispered seductively, her lips brushing past the helix of his ear before nipping his earlobe playfully. Not a moment passed before she found herself flat on the wooden floor, Sesshomaru's left hand tight around her neck. The fingers of his right hand grasped her left leg around the knee, holding it up at the level of his waist as he pressed his body to hers. Sesshomaru lowered his face to hardly above Nanami's, his amber eyes relishing the shock in hers as she acknowledged the warmth and pressure of his body between her legs. She remained motionless, her hair in tousled strands across the floor, her eyes filled with fear and excitement. She seldom took shallow breaths, her lips parted in bewilderment.

"Don't push me." He spoke in a threatening whisper. Her pulse thrummed madly against his fingers; his own no less fervent. His body ached to devour her in idolized passion, to hear her sigh and feel her fingers rake at his back. Instead he let out a subdued, irritated growl before standing up and walking out of the room into the depths of the mansion.

Once he was out of sight, Nanami allowed herself to catch her breath in a few rapid bursts. She raised herself gracefully, though still a bit shaken, and sauntered over to the table, dragging her fingers along the wood. They found and grasped her glass, white wine shimmering within. She watched the liquid swirl for a moment, her expression pensive, then poured it into the flames, the wood hissing in response. Nanami reclined onto the chaise lounge, pressing her legs close, resting her head. -I win, Sesshomaru.-

Nanami had long fallen asleep by the time Sesshomaru emerged from the springs, his hair no longer black, his markings no more than faint scars. The water calmed his nerve and sobered his thoughts, but not enough to drown out Nanami. His mind would conjure her up unintentionally, leading him to force his thoughts to the impending manhunt and to Rin's safety. He stepped into Rin's chamber soundlessly, not to disturb her sound sleep. Sesshomaru lowered himself cautiously onto the bed, the girl not even stirring in response. He watched her for a moment, pulling the covers snug over her. Repressing a sigh, he crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, his decision final. -I have to do what is best for her. I cannot let death find her yet again.-

His sleep was plagued with dreams that night. He dreamt of her. Her warm, soft skin, glistening near the fire. Her scent mingled with his and the smell of the firewood in the flames. His desire was incapacitating, every breath, every movement and every glance of hers intoxicating. Her hands grasped his shoulders and snaked downwards as her lithe back arched, a sighing moan escaping her parted lips. He dreamt he awoke late in the morning, a warm summer breeze crossing the room in wisps. He turned his head to see Nanami sleeping beside him, her long tousled hair glinting gold in the morning light. Sesshomaru rolled onto his side and watched her lids quiver as she breathed deeply, facing him. He reached out, his fingers brushing her hair over her bare shoulder, moving up her neck to her cheek. There was a slight tremble in her lashes and her glimmering gray eyes opened slowly, and she awarded him her warmest smile. Her eyes darkened and shrunk as her skin crinkled to ash and her body collapsed into dust in his hands, the room around him burned to a skeleton, smoke choking out any light and air. He stood and looked about with trepidation, ash fleeting from his fingers. The horror that consumed Sesshomaru was on par with the confusion. He was reliving his father's death, yet the ashes were Nanami's. His eyes lingered on where she slept just seconds ago, her entire existence crumbled down to nothing but dust. His heart seized and felt as if it twisted backwards. A wet tearing sound drew his attention from outside the wreckage. If Sesshomaru had ever felt sheer terror, it was in that moment; a scrawny brown wolf tore and greedily gobbled Rin's flesh as the girl lay lifeless, facedown on the ground.

Sesshomaru bolted upright with a snarl, waking in the intact, unscathed chamber of Nanami's mansion. His eyes shot to the other side of the bed, where Rin snored softly, sleeping on her back, arms stretched out to both sides. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and dropped his head with a sigh of relief. - Rin. I cannot bear any harm coming to you. I will not be able to save your life should anything happen.-

Nanami woke to a sleeping house, still and filled only with the sound of the spring rushing through its stones. The young woman sat up and looked around, stretching her neck. Everything was as it had been the night before, other than the fire pit had nothing but burnt embers within. She stood, raising her arms up and lengthened her back, her movements as if a cat woken from a long nap. She wandered down the hall, her footfalls soft, not intending to awaken anyone, though the empty guest chamber proved there was no one left to wake. Nanami searched the rest of the house, calling out Rin's name, scowling at her disappearance. Her bed was made, nothing seemed disturbed. -He left, and took her with him.-

Nanami stared blankly into the guest room, drumming her fingers on the wall and chewing her lip in thought. Her mind struggled to refocus her thoughts on her present threats and danger. -I have no other place to go. Whoever comes after me must not know I am here. No one can know where I go, where I sleep…This place is all I have. -

She spent the next few days fortifying her home, sealing the doors, covering windows, destroying parts of the facade, feigning an abandoned home. She concealed any trace of her scent, even with the rain at night, and carried the powder pouch with her wherever she went. She wanted to be free of Sesshomaru, yet each time she closed her doors at night, a part of her hoped to hear him come back to her. She would lie in bed, every outside noise pushing sleep from her lids. She would toss and turn, her head heavy as bricks, her body exhausted. Day after day she would hide, sneaking her way to the outskirts of the villages the host had intruded on two years ago. They were rebuilt, as promised, with only a small force remaining in the man village she was stolen from.

Days turned into weeks, filled with hiding and stealing away under cover of night or bad weather, with no sign of Sesshomaru or Rin. Nanami feared venturing to Kaede's village to investigate her suspicions; she couldn't bring herself to endanger the town, and perhaps Rin if she truly was there. Once, demon scouts circled her home, examining it for signs of life, but moved on. Twice she narrowly escaped being detected in the woods without having to kill her pursuers.

A month had passed, relatively uneventfully. The morning air was still cool from night and fragranced with summer flowers. Nanami dressed in lightweight black pants, a gray fitted shirt, her shoulders bare, and a smooth black leather bodice, seams running down her back, down the center in the front, and forming a half ellipse from hip to waist on each side. She fastened her matching swords to her back along with her quiver, the black gold hilted blade at her hip, her bamboo longbow in hand.

A thrum rattled along the walls and roof of her home. Nanami stopped and glared at where the noises came from. The scent of fire drifted into the main chamber, sending the woman running from a concealed door to the back gardens. Nanami nocked an arrow and crept alongside the foundations of the house, eyes scanning for her assailants.

A small troupe of riders watched on as the front of her home caught fire, two of the men splitting off to circle the mansion from each side. They weren't scouts from the north as Nanami had presumed, but a small segment of the remaining force from the seaside villages. -What are they doing? Why burn the house to the ground?- She drew her arrow from the shadows of the overgrown shrubbery, aiming at the nearest rider. -Do I run? Do I stop them?-

"If you're here Alyona… we come bearing a message. You must return if you wish no further damage to your bloodline. The council demands your return, your father's and your treasonous action paid by your surviving family members. Your father and your aunt yet live. But only so long as you return. Your uncle, your mother have paid for your perfidy and the demon's flight. Your aunt will be next. Then her daughter…" The man announced with a condemning tone in old Rus, his eyes scouring the property for the woman.

Nanami inched lower into the shrubbery, her jaw locked and her breath ceased for a moment. -Another ploy… just another ruse. They couldn't have done something so brash and cruel. How could the whole council be swayed to such action?- Nanami refused to accept the rider's words, and provided her answer with a fiery arrow. The perimeter of her home went up in concentric circles of flames, the way she had rigged it previously, while the fire engulfing the front facade of her home died down. The riders had heedlessly allowed their mounts to step into the loose combustable powder around the mansion, rendering her snare even more effective as they were engulfed in a ravenous white flame.

Nanami weaved her way through the fire, toward the remaining two riders a distance away from the house, untouched by the flames surrounding them. Arrow nocked, she approached under cover of her own fiery trap. Yet before she had the chance to take her shot, the rider with a gray cloak drove a sword through his soldier counterpart beside him.

"Alyona, stop this madness!" He shouted, jumping down from his steed, arms up in the air. "My wife will die and lie in an unmarked grave as your mother, as your uncle, and soon as your father. Your cousin, my beloved… they took her from me…"

Alyona ket her arrow aimed at the man, his face utterly distraught and sallow from worry and tears.

"You do not know what you have done… Your bloodline will be brought to an end no matter your actions. They will lure you home any way they can, only to extinguish your gift from this world. They-"

"Who?" Nanami shouted, doubt still maintaining her clarity. She could not believe any of the words coming from him.

"Four of the seven council members were murdered upon your disappearance, the remaining three establishing control through militant action. They believe your power a threat to life itself, an unneeded sinful remnant of an ancient world. They want your bloodline gone, they want your power gone, and they will stop at nothing... Your mother's death will draw you home, where you will have no place to hide, so long as you maintain your identity hidden. Any support from our people will be uncertain. Some believe the council has the truth of it… You are marked for death. Anyone bearing any relation to you is marked for death, for an unmarked grave, such as your mother. Your own have turned against you. And there is no hope in saving my love, my wife, the light of my life… all because of your actions."

"How would I know you speak the truth?" Nanami was unmoved. "I have never met Leila's betrothed. I am over a thousand miles away, with no way of seeing the truth of your claims."

"Without me you would have remained here, oblivious, while your kin paid for your decisions in blood. I wish to strangle you with mine own hands for her life, but I stand no chance against you. Our nation will be torn apart once word gets out of your family's slaughter. There will still be those loyal to your father and your blood. He's brought the longest lasting peace to our lands in centuries. Your lineage is all that is left of our ancient golden age. Either you hang on to a futile hope of reigning in what is left of your father's empire or you choose to stay in hiding, letting your family die, letting our empire crumble to warring kingdoms, waiting for its demise." He shouted desperately. "Your father killed them all when he let that demon loose... They forced him to watch as your mother's throat was slit and her body burned, traces of life still within her. Just as he watched his brother. As he will watch my Leila… while you sit here, in ignorant bliss, heedless of your actions."

Nanami's skin crawled, her eyes burned, her mouth was dry as desert sand. Her mind clung to a desperate hope he was lying. But her instincts knew the truth. -You lie…- The flames died down to wisps of smoke within the blink of an eye. Nanami struggled to force herself to breathe.

"You lie…" She muttered, praying for another trap.

"Why? No matter what you do, all I care for will die… I will die …for this. All I have left is to advise you against returning. You have no hope in saving anyone. All you will accomplish is making yourself an easy target. You're past the event horizon. There is no mending the damage. Your ancient lineage will be eradicated, down to every descendant, with no risk of another guardian and threat of the power you hold emerging ever again. Your best hope is to live out the rest of your miserable life in hiding, the deaths of your kin on your hands." His distraught voice quieted as he turned back the way he came from.

Her blood stilled. Nanami's stomach turned and her vision blurred. Her hands trembled, dropping her bow and arrow, holding her head in a futile attempt to keep herself together. -She cannot be gone. My mother… she… murdered…My father...- Hot tears tricked down her cheeks, cracking her stony front. She let out a soft despairing cry, tears and agony all that remained for her. -I knew… I knew I couldn't leave… I could have stopped this. What was father thinking?! How could he… Mama! - She crumbled: burning tears, despondent whimpers, fingers in her hair, her body shaking in anguish. She brought death to her own flesh and blood, every last one of them. Nanami felt a tarnished, chaotic disaster, leaving absolutely everything in ruin.

After no more tears could make way, her fingers clasped her dropped bow and arrow. With a few raspy breaths, she stilled her face into a pale, ghostly mask, though her eyes were proof of prolonged, tormented tears. -If I am to die, I will take all with me… starting with him…-

Nanami wandered into the woods, having not a bit of knowledge where to find Sesshomaru. Her best hope would be his brother. So she dredged on, dead inside, her fury moving her legs for her, toward Kaede's village.


	15. Monster

Nanami wandered into the woods, having not a bit of knowledge where to find Sesshomaru. Her best hope would be his brother. So she dredged on, dead inside, her fury moving her legs for her, toward Kaede's village.

A white mare foraged on grass nearby Nanami's home, still bearing a saddle and the belongings of her master, yet no rider was in sight. Nanami approached her warily. The mare acknowledged her and paid her no heed. Alyona searched the satchels, recognizing the horse as the one her brother in law rode. Her fingers grasped a small parcel, and she pulled it out into sight. She tore off an attached scroll, the council's seal upon it. With grit teeth, she tore at the wax and read the letter.

The message was simple. She could return by her own will, sparing the lives of her father and remaining relatives, at the cost of her own. Her mother's death served as punishment; a taste of things to come. She could ignore their summons, each month she remains elusive would cast some part of her surviving relatives and eventually her father's away from their bodies and would be sent to her, whether she is found or not. Or she could return, bringing the escapee with her, his head purchasing her own life as well as that of her remaining family. They would be shackled to the capitol city until their end of days, without ability to marry and carry on the bloodline, but they would live. The longer she waited to give her reply to the commander at the seaside port, the more body parts she would find at her recluse estate. The package contained a memento of their resolve.

Nanami turned her attention to the parcel, eyeing it apprehensively. She straightened her back, swallowing back any fear and opened the wrapping. A startled yelp escaped from her as her fingers dropped the parcel. She kept her eyes closed, chocking back the sickness in her stomach. Several moments of steady breaths and shaking alleviated the ill feeling long enough to pick up the satchel and its contents, securing it back to the saddle. She coaxed the mare, petting her white mane, before saddling her and riding off in her intended direction. It took Nanami every sliver of her strength and being to bite back all the horror, the despair, the anxiety and rage a while longer.

She approached Kaede's village close to the late summer sundown. The thrum and whistle of a loosed arrow drew her attention. Nanami followed its origin and glimpsed a young priestess, her long black hair secured loosely behind her shoulders. Her bright brown eyes scowled at the golden haired stranger.

"Stop, demon! Don't come any closer" She shouted, ready to loose another arrow.

Nanami continued to steer her horse toward the village, feeling dead and apathetic.

"I mean no harm." She spoke loudly and clearly, hoping the young priestess would let her pass without incident.

"Didn't you hear me? I said don't come any closer. I'll shoot!"

"Shoot then." Nanami muttered indifferently. The priestess sent another arrow her way, only to have Nanami slow its flight down to a standstill, letting it fall behind her as she continued to lead the white mare forward. The young woman in red glared at her in horror and shock, loosing another arrow. Yet again the arrow simply hovered in mid air. The stranger's eyes gleamed eerily as she rode up next to the arrow. She drew her sword and flicked the shaft to the ground, her eyes turning back to their silvery blue. The priestess stood dumbfounded, her hands holding her bow steady, yet not moving toward action, as if they did not know what to do. Nanami stopped beside the girl, lightly pressing the tip of her sword under her chin, forcing her to look up.

"Are you done?"

The priestess swallowed a lump and nodded faintly.

"Good. That was pointless. I only need to speak with a half demon who usually lingers here, by the name of Inuyasha." Nanami withdrew her sword, returning it to its sheath at her side. She dismounted and turned toward the girl.

"What are you? … Why?" The girl's voice was uneasy and laced with fear.

"An old friend. I simply need to speak with him."

The priestess furrowed her brow and inspected the young woman before her: the clothes were atypical, her features foreign, her hair golden - an oddity in this time and place. Her eyes showed signs of tears, but her expression was without emotion. -What is she? I thought her a demon at first but there's no aura. She's not a human either. How was she able to stop my arrow? Her eyes creeped me out… How does she know Inuyasha?-

"Hey, Kagome!" The half demon's voice resonated from some distance behind her before he arrived next to the priestess.

"Nanami?!" His eyes spelled surprise as he recognized the fair haired stranger. "Where the hell have you been? We thought you were dead!"

"You know her?" Kagome turned toward the half demon.

"Yeah I know her. She showed up while you were gone and raised all sorts of hell. She's-"

"Inuyasha." Nanami interrupted the man, debating her approach. Direct was best, she supposed. "Your brother. Where is he?"

"How should I know?" He grumbled back. "Seeing you here I'd assume he'd be trailing behind."

"You ARE his brother… Rin isn't with you?" Nanami ignored his comment. Kagome continued to stare at the two, confused and lost as to what had transpired while she was gone.

"Rin's here with us, but last time he visited her was two days ago." Kagome interjected. "Why are you looking for him?"

"To settle a debt. Which way did he go?" Nanami placed her hand on the horse's saddle, ready to leave.

"What debt?" Inuyasha stepped in front of the horse, as if to block her way. "What's going on?" He sniffed, something in the air making him scowl. He eyed the horse.

"Don't." Nanami threatened him, knowing he smelled what was in the brown saddle bag. "Please… I have to find him. Just tell me where he went."

Inuyasha analyzed Nanami as her eyes bored into him. -She's been crying… Where has she been? What happened?-

"Fine. Follow me." He muttered.

"No, you have no part in this. Just p-"

"You'll spend days tracking him." Inuyasha threw a disturbed glance at the saddle once more. "Something tells me you don't have days."

Nanami's jaw tensed as she grit her teeth, but she didn't object. Instead, she uttered a quiet thank you and mounted up.

"Wait, what's going on? Inuyasha?" Kagome's nervous expression reflected the uneasiness in her voice. Her hands reached out to Inuyasha, pleading for some sort of clarification.

"It's best you stay here, Kagome."

"No! I'm going with you. You always find trouble. And you better fill me in on the way." The priestess commanded, crossing her arms over her chest. Inuyasha grumbled angrily to himself, holding back a protest.

"Come on then."

Nanami followed Inuyasha reluctantly, knowing she had no other choice if she was to find him fast. She didn't want Inuyasha and this young Kagome to have any part in what was happening. Nanami was not sure she would be able to hold everything back when she sees Sesshomaru, and she had no desire for anyone else to witness her actions. Her mind avoided having any thoughts drifting to the contents of the brown bag hanging off her saddle.

Hours passed. Nanami heard Inuyasha speaking to Kagome, perched on his back, briefly filling her in about the events of the last three years. He told her of Nanami and his father, of Tsuneo, about her time with his companions. It felt very strange to hear others speak of her. Nanami straightened her back and shifted in the saddle, trying to zone them out and keep her face expressionless. -Why the last three years? Who is she?… He hardly speaks of all Sesshomaru had done. Because I am within earshot?-

"Nanami!" Inuyasha called back to her. The young woman answered him with an disinterested glance.

"What happened? You've disappeared for two years."

"I went home." She answered vaguely.

"Home? Come on, that's not all. You were a mess last time I saw you and you're wrath incarnate now. We searched all over for you, and presumed you dead. There hasn't been a sign of Tsuneo either. Why did you leave? Why return now?"

"My father came after me and took me thirteen hundred miles north, where I was born. I was forced to return here."

Inuyasha stopped. He turned to face Nanami, deep in thought. Nanami furrowed her brow.

"What?" She asked, confused. She glanced around to see why the half demon would have stopped.

"Nanami… I.. Maybe I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you… For saving my mother. Maybe my father would have never met her. I never got a chance to thank you. You said my old man made Sesshomaru swear an oath, one he neglects to fulfill. He died before I got a chance to even see him. I want to keep my old man's promise. But to do that you need to trust me. And trust us." He spoke quietly, as if deliberating every word. Kagome's bright, optimistic eyes dulled, still unsure of what was happening. Despite her curiosity, she held back her questions for the moment.

Nanami pondered his words for a moment. Inuyasha didn't look so much as his father as Sesshomaru did, most likely resembling his human mother more closely. Yet Inu no Taisho's blood still flowed through him. He had similar eyes, and the silver hair, and the pride and loyalty his father possessed.

"Thank you… but right now I trust you to help me find your brother. I cannot spare much time to fill you in on all that happened. The minute I do… I will. Just not now." She muttered, almost apologetically. She appreciated the concern but the last thing on her mind was a long forgotten oath to a dead man. Inuyasha took the hint and returned to his tracking. Nanami lashed the reigns and followed. -Your offer may not stand long.-

Another hour passed, with only few words passing between Inuyasha and Kagome. Nanami was growing weary, and her nerves were even more frayed.

"I smell demon blood." Inuyasha grumbled and lurched to his left. Nanami's white mare galloped after him. Slashing and scuffling sounded from a short distance, then silence. Inuyasha stopped between the trees, setting Kagome down. Nanami stopped the horse beside him and jumped off.

Sesshomaru stood among three crudely clad dead demons, slashed to pieces. His face was aloof as always, back straight and proud as he watched the intruders. His amber eyes flashed to Nanami; he caught the others' scent but not hers. -That smell…- The muscles in his jaw and neck tensed at the sight of the woman. It didn't help his half-brother and his human priestess were there to witness whatever hell Nanami was going to unleash upon him this time. He avoided her for a month, escaping everything she brought out in him, hiding from what he knew and she didn't; though he never strayed too far, keeping any threats away from her without her knowledge. At least, until two days ago. Yet for her to seek him out was something unheard of.

Nanami's expression remained impassive as she retrieved a wrapped up parcel from one of the bags on the saddle. She slowly made her way toward the tall demon, walking almost casually, as she side stepped the bodies of the slain as if they were just rocks on a path. Sesshomaru prepared himself for what she was like to do next: a fist, a sword, a kick, shouting and cursing?

Kagome watched apprehensively, still uncertain of this new stranger. She wanted to warn her not to come near Sesshomaru, but Inuyasha shook his head and held her back. Kagome couldn't understand, but obeyed nonetheless. Her fingers gripped her bow and she watched on.

Nanami walked up to Sesshomaru, stopping before him. Her eyes seemed somber, their usual luster extinguished, the skin around them swollen and pink. She looked defeated and vulnerable; something more unsettling than the sight of the woman enraged. She shoved the parcel against his chest, the scent seeping from it alarming. His hand caught the bag as hers withdrew and he looked at her for an explanation. Yet all she did was wait for him to peer inside. Sesshomaru shot a glance at his brother, who watched him with just as much confusion, and proceeded to look inside the bag.

He wished he hadn't. Sesshomaru's jaw locked up, his gaze inspecting the severed hand within, belonging to a woman, clutching two partially flayed fingers, belonging to a man. One had a golden band on it. The woman's fingers retained all their rings as well: wedding and another bearing a family crest. The contents seemed preserved, with salts and minerals and whatever else it may have been, yet the smell of dead flesh was undeniable. He closed the satchel.

"The price my family pays for your escape. For my disappearance." Nanami finally spoke. "My mother and uncle murdered, my father captured and maimed, the rest of my bloodline to be obliterated."

Sesshomaru brought his eyes back up to the young woman before him. "Your father knew the cost…"

The crack of skin against skin pierced the warm summer night. Nanami's palm turned red, tingling with pain, matching the flushed mark on Sesshomaru's face. The fire was back in her eyes.

"Don't you dare." She admonished him as he stood unflinching.

"He knew the risk, Nanami. He knew he would lose his life. It was a matter of time before your family would have met the same fate. Their lives are the only thing that could be used against you. There, with them all in reach, you were an easy target. He did what any father would have done."

It stung even more the second time her hand whipped across his face. Bewilderment filled Kagome's eyes. She looked to Inuyasha, who seemed unwilling to intervene. -What is going on here? Sesshomaru's letting her get away with it?-

"I could have saved her, Sesshomaru! You could have laid the entire city to ruins! Yet you did nothing but force me to abandon my family!" She berated him, feeling too crushed and exhausted to do anything but voice her anger and despair. "You've killed them and you've killed me."

"I saved you." Sesshomaru growled back. "Your father saved you before your line and your power were extinguished. You would have died with them had you remained there any longer. You and all of your kin were long marked for death before I found you."

The woman stared at him, her eyes accusing. For a brief moment, he thought she would slap him again. Yet she remained silent, not voicing her erratic thoughts.

Abruptly, her hands flashed behind her shoulder and her katanas crossed over Sesshomaru's neck. To her surprise, he hadn't even blinked in response and stood still as stone. Inuyasha lurched at her, sword drawn, as the young priestess prepared to send an arrow through Nanami's skull.

Sesshomaru watched her eyes transmute to a luminescent silver, the light filling them like a colored drop in a glass of water. Nanami turned toward the two approaching, stopping them within their tracks, letting them free after a few seconds, dread filling both their eyes. Her eyes turned back to the man staring down her swords as Inuyasha and Kagome regained control of their bodies. Nanami's face scowled as she tightened her grip on her blades, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. -His head would buy their lives. My life…- Try as she could, her bloodthirsty thoughts were all futile. Her hands couldn't bring themselves to do the deed. Sesshoumaru could hear her grind her teeth in effort, yet her eyes could not deceive him deftly enough. So he looked on into her gunmetal silver orbs, his gaze neither vindictive nor intimidating. More than anything, he was curious as to what she was thinking, or what she was hoping she was able to accomplish.

His gaze sent a cold knife scraping at Nanami's back. -I cannot kill him even if I wanted to… All he has done to me… yet I cannot bear to take his life. And he knows it…- Her hands drew back her swords, sliding them back into their sheaths. -To think he's all I have left.- It was a bitter and comfortless realization. She couldn't bear to look at him a moment longer. Nanami swallowed the pain and sighed, regaining her composure, and snatched the parcel out of his hand before she turned back toward her mare.

Sesshomaru traced her every step with eyes cold as steel, remaining reticent as she stepped past a dumbfounded Inuyasha and an aghast Kagome. The human girl watched the stranger as if she were a chimera stalking past. She stepped aside in fear, clutching onto Inuyasha's shoulder. Nanami shot them both a an expressionless glance as she saddled up, reserving an especially glacial glare for Sesshomaru. Then she was gone.

To Sesshomaru's misfortune, his half-demon brother caught it - a glimpse of concern that flashed in his eyes. Inuyasha took a step toward his elder.

"What the hell was that? What was in the bag?" He snapped, sheathing his sword. "What did you have to do with her mother's death?"

His brother disregarded the inquiry and turned to Nanami's general direction.

"Hey! Don't you dare go after her! You clearly screwed things up enough." Inuyasha grumbled, sensing his actions would only cause more trouble. Sesshomaru's fist cracked against his jaw, sending a throb of pain to his ear. Kagome let out a frightened gasp and wheeled over to the half-demon, staring daggers at Sesshomaru.

"Do not presume to threaten me, half-breed. This is none of your concern." The demon remained on ice, maintaining his unresponsive exterior. He denied the rattling of his thoughts and feelings inside. - She is mine to destroy and guard… I cannot do one without the other.- Further yet, he refused to acknowledge the danger he would put his detested sibling into if he followed Nanami. She was much too volatile for him to deal with. His place was here, with his companions… for Rin's safety.

Sesshomaru kept his musings to himself and walked to where he thought Nanami was heading, not being able to catch her scent. He could not allow himself to acknowledge the feeling of mild panic in his gut. The man who helped him escape, his father's closest friend and ally, is awaiting further butchery, used as bait to lure in his daughter. -I will fail my own father… She will run back home and she will die.- Sesshomaru knew his brother was not following him, at least not yet; his pace quickened. -Where is she?-

Her eyes lingered on the flames a moment longer as the satchel caught fire. The flames changed color as the preserving salts and minerals burned. Nanami forced herself to look away as the flesh burned. The thought never crossed her mind that her own family would be subject to murder and torture and torment by those who protected them for centuries. To think she was burning pieces of her parents sent to threaten her into submission, into her own demise… -All my father had built over the centuries is crumbling… that which they protected so zealously is now to be obliterated. They murdered her… they're flaying my father apart. My family will be turned to rotting flesh. Nothing will bring them back. Where is the guarantee my father will live if I return? Or that they would cease the hunt… What would be the point of all this… If it really is about the power… then my kin are nothing but pawns. If they deem it something to be gone from the world, why keep any of us alive?-

Nanami bit back the irritation as she heard footfalls nearby and planned a semi-eloquent way to tell Sesshomaru to bring his head thirteen hundred miles for a slim chance of saving the lives of her family. Yet when she turned, she saw his half brother and the young priestess.

"Don't run, Nanami… Back there… What was that? What are you?" Inuyasha spoke carefully, letting his unsettled companion down from his arms.

Nanami shut her eyes with a sigh, cursing her own actions. "I did not mean to frighten you, Kagome."

"What was that? How did you do that?" The young girl asked, straightening her back, her hands holding the bow tightly.

"That… is what has been ruining my life since I was a child. The power I guard. The power Tsuneo and so many others desire." Nanami turned back toward the two, not sparing a glance to the remnants of the flame. Kagome still sported a bewildered look, not understanding what Nanami meant.

"She can control time…" Inuyasha mumbled in a low tone. "That's why my old man took you under his wing."

"And why those I once thought my own, my protectors, have turned against me." Nanami walked over to her horse once more, denying herself any feeling except wrath. "Maybe they are right… this power isn't needed in this world. Yet slaughtering my kin is utter cruelty. It is cowardice… I will die, as they want me to, but not without bringing them all with me."

Inuyasha exchanged a wary glance with Kagome before returning his gaze to the foreigner. -Something tells me she's jumping into this without thinking it through… How could she not, assuming what was in that damn bag.-

"They? Who are they?" He asked instead.

"Whoever is left in the council… It is -was composed of seven elders, each a descendant of ancient dynasties which have ruled over my kind for centuries… Four of them were murdered, the remaining three seizing power and starting this slaughter of my bloodline and manhunt for my head. And Sesshomaru's."

"Sesshomaru? What have they got against him? What escape?" Inuyasha's tone dropped to an irritated tone at the mention of his elder brother. Nanami saw no point in hiding anything. She waited for the satchel to burn down to ash.

"Rin led him to me. He was detained after he found me. My father freed him, leading us out of the city. They both knew something I did not. My father was spotted and that is when Sesshomaru brought me here."

"Rin?" Kagome's eyes widened with disbelief. "She found you? Thirteen hundred miles away? How? Why would she leave Sesshomaru's side?"

"My father's soldiers took her in on their voyage home. I do not understand why she left either. Perhaps you should ask her yourselves, she would give you a much clearer answer."

"How could he let Rin out of his sight long enough to travel so far? That just doesn't sound like Sesshomaru." Kagome was still frowning, though her grip on her bow loosened.

"He didn't." Nanami answered, checking the fire, hoping to see no trace of the wretched satchel. Her eyes barely skimmed the flames before they turned back, unable to linger long enough to see any remains.

"Wait…" Kagome let out a nervous chuckle. "Sesshomaru? He LET her lead him to you? What else am I missing here?"

"Nothing." She murmured. Inuyasha could see Nanami's jaw tense as the conversation turned uncomfortable for her. She avoided looking either of them in the eye.

"Yeah… nothing… just Sesshomaru's soft underbelly." Inuyasha grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. -1300 miles to bring her back… yet in his eyes she killed my old man. What is he doing? What's he thinking?-

Nanami hastened the fire's progress and grabbed the remnants of leather and bone from the ground. She walked a few feet to a thin, snaky river and launched the remainder of the grim parcel into the rapids. Avoiding the inquisitive gazes of Inuyasha and his companion, she made her way to her mare.

"Wait…where are you going?" Kagome questioned.

"Home." Nanami muttered as she climbed back onto her horse.

"Nanami." His voice seemed to come out of nowhere, sending an anxious shiver over her skin. She turned, preparing to recite her earlier thoughts as to the value of his head. Sesshomaru stepped in front of her white horse, blocking her path. Nanami simply steered the white mare in a different direction.

Inuyasha said nothing and watched on, arms still crossed over his chest. Sesshomaru stepped in her way once more.

"Stop." She growled.

"Do not be a fool."

"Go to hell." She snarled.

"You cannot leave." He pronounced sternly. Both glared at each other like predators at odds. A bitter, sarcastic smile crossed Nanami's lips.

"Go… to hell." She reiterated.

Sesshomaru scowled, fighting the urge to knock her off the horse. She looked a disaster.

"They expect you to come back seeing red... An easy kill... Be reasonable." It sounded more an order than a suggestion. He was reeling any shred of tone or emotion back with his brother looking on. His demeanor had retained its usual aristocratic coolness. Nanami had noticed he wasn't speaking all that was on his mind.

"Reasonable? The ones who protected me since before my birth are sending me pieces of my parents, seeking an end to what my blood carries. And I am to leave them to butchery for the sake of my life? I've done nothing but run, kill, and hide for centuries. If this is how my story is to end, then so be it... I have nothing better to hope for any longer."

Nothing changed in Sesshomaru, except for the strange flicker of anger in his eyes. -They've broken her. She will go back, all rage and fury, and die, as they plan on her doing.-

"You would give in so easily?" He let out a low snarl, intending to wound her pride. She turned her horse and headed in the opposite direction.

"What gives you the right to judge my actions? How could you understand, even remotely, the place I am in?" She seethed at him, frustration gnawing at her nerves. "Who are you to-"

The horse had hardly a chance to let out a startled neigh before Nanami was thrust against the nearest tree. Inuyasha reached for his sword, drawing it with a weary glare at his elder brother. The fingers of his right hand nearly gouged the skin of her neck as Sesshomaru held on to her, his eyes hostile, the gold slowly simmering to red.

"I have every right! I have risked all to save you... your father sacrificed his own life for you to live and you repay him by throwing yours away? By choosing the pointless bloodshed and quick vengeance?" His voice was a step away from a guttural growl. He gripped her jaw, forcing her offended, stubborn eyes to look at him.

"Control yourself, Nanami. Think. Here you remain a threat, an uncertain, uncontrollable danger."

"How can I turn my back on them and let-"

"You turn your back on them for squandering your chance at safety and doing what you were born to do! Protect what you hold, as your ancestors have done for centuries. It is the price you pay for who you are."

His words stung painfully, mainly because of the logic in them. She wanted to slap him, hit him, curse him but none of that would make the demon any less truthful. She felt the lump burning in her throat and could find nothing to say to him. -The price I pay... Too great of a price for anything on this earth... Easy for you to be lecturing me, Sesshomaru. What would you do in my place?-

"He's right... You're in no state to be running home now: you have no plan." Inuyasha lowered his tetsusaiga, surprising Kagome. She glared at him, still a bundle of nerves. The half demon scowled at his elder. -I would never see Sesshomaru talking her out of it, even if he's right... If he says it's a danger after being there... It must be. What the hell is happening? -

"My father's oath requires me to help you protect your power... As I swore to your father to protect you. Do not dare tarnish my honor and the deeds of both our fathers with this folly." Sesshomaru dropped his hand, straightening his back. He watched despair fill her eyes, though Nanami remained impassive. Her gaze flittered between the two brothers and the uneasy priestess.

-I could give a damn about your honor, Sesshomaru... At this moment, I could give a damn about my own life.- Nanami cautiously pushed herself away from the trunk, shrugging off dust and pieces of bark.

"My duty is to protect what I behold, yet would it not serve a greater purpose to rid the world of this power? That is what they seek."

There was a fleeting glimpse of panic in Sesshomaru's eyes, yet he did not allow himself to speak freely. -I will not let that happen. I will not let her run to her death.-

"Both of you, back off." Kagome stepped in, an air of irritation about her. "Honestly, she just lost her family. Give her some space." She walked closer to the foreigner, slinging her bow over her back.

"Nanami. Make your own decision, but sleep on it today. Clear your mind." The young woman stepped in front of Sesshomaru, eliciting a bewildered frown from the man. "Let yourself grieve and gather your thoughts before you throw yourself into anything."

The forest fell silent, the air tense with apprehension. All eyes were fixed on Nanami, while hers lingered on the human priestess. The only thing she wanted was silence; no more advice, no more threats, no more expecting glares. Her tongue was in knots, not able to give a coherent reply.

Kagome nodded, accepting Nanami's stupor as a better response than her sprinting off or attacking one of them in a fury. She turned around to face the icy demon scowling behind her.

"Stop lecturing." She commanded, pointing her index finger at him, and walked further into the trees nearby. "Inuyasha, help me gather some firewood."

The two half brothers hardly resembled each other, yet the astounded glare was identical in both their amber eyes. Inuyasha suppressed a smirk at the sight of his elder's shock and trailed after his daring priestess.

Nanami stared after the two before turning her attention to the man inspecting her. He reached out, his fingers locking around her arm, and pulled her away from the tree. Her feet untangled themselves from the roots and she stood tall before him. Her hand whipped upwards to brand his cheek, but not fast enough. He gripped her wrist tightly and glowered at her in annoyance.

"Stop." His voice threatened quietly, hardly audible. He shoved her hand away and looked at her with utter disappointment. Nanami scoffed, not believing his gall, only aggravating him further.

"I have turned inside out for you... Put my honor, my pride and dignity... My father's legacy on the line FOR YOU! Your father gave his life and the life of his family for your survival! For you to fulfill your birthright, to live and protect what you hold! Yet the blame lands on me... While you make the rash, selfish decision to shed more blood, shatter your nation and waste your life in the process..." His face twisted with anger and disappointment, his voice desperate to convince her of her absurdity. "Stay with me, stay with them, stay alone... But stay."

She blinked away the disbelief, surprised at the demon's persistence. - You want me to live? Then play along and just come with me. Then perhaps you can save the lives of whoever is left as well.- She thought, the tone in her head sardonic.

"Even if you save your father...what would be left of him? You are a fool if you truly believe they will let you go on with your life so long as you returned-"

"There is no going back! You know I am aware of that, Sesshomaru! If all is true, he watched them slit my mother's throat, just as they did his brother's... Before or after his fingers were flayed! I left him in hell... What sort of daughter would I be if I knowingly left him to be butchered?! My life spares his..." Nanami's voice trailed off, leaving the rest of the terms unspoken. She was uncertain as to why she held back; she would be able to lie, to deceive him into following her into their trap, but she knew her hands could not do the deed. -All I must do is get him to follow me to oblivion. Simple...- She silenced her sarcastic thoughts. Sesshomaru waited a moment longer for her to finish her incomplete phrase, yet she remained tongue-tied.

"Nanami... He knew. Your father warned me, he trusted me to bring you to safety no matter the cost. The demise of your bloodline was long in motion before I found you. I simply happened to be there at the right time."

"So I should thank you for your stroke of conscience and heroic acts?"

Sesshomaru's fingers grasped her jaw, his eyes gleaming with fury. "I do not need your antics. Perhaps you should have a little gratitude for your father's actions. I will not let you die."

"You should have left with Rin! I would have been able to do something! I would have been able to save my mother or at the very least I would have died with them! They would have been given a quick death had I been there, dead or alive!" Nanami shouted, her self control breaking, her eyes brimming with tears.

"STOP!" He snarled, infuriated. "Death is death… Your duty is to live. Dying with them would have been weakness and defeat. Your parents knew the price of your power, you know it as much… You will live." Sesshomaru reeled in his anger with the distraught girl, understanding there was no use in talking her out of anything now. She was trying her hardest not to shed a tear and keep her expression unyielding. Her lashes blinked away the moisture and she attempted to turn away from him, avoiding his eyes. Sesshomaru refused to let her look away. In a slim stroke of pity, he let her go and brushed the tears away from her cheek, surprising her.

He quickly retracted his hands and stepped away from Nanami, glaring into the forest to his left. Nanami followed his gaze, hearing faint footfalls in the distance: Inuyasha and Kagome were returning. Nanami scoffed and wiped the tears from her eyes, stifling an insult and a laugh. -The Great Lord Sesshomaru. God-forbid anyone witnesses a shred of humanity in him.-

Sesshomaru glowered at her in return, guessing the thoughts running through her head. She awarded him a cruel smirk and walked away a few steps, turning her back and crossing her arms over her chest.

Inuyasha dropped the firewood in his arms onto the ground, where he and Kagome proceeded to build a campfire. Kagome's fingers fiddled with the grass and moss she was planing to use as tinder. Nanami watched closely, running a finger over her lower lip, seeing the girl struggle. She uncrossed her arms and walked up to Kagome.

"Here." She muttered, took the tinder from her and kneeled, placing it under the stacked firewood. The stone of her ring swirled white and engulfed the grass into a bright white flame, the firewood catching a moment after. She brushed her hands off and looked at Kagome.

"It has been raining too often… it wasn't dry enough."

"Thanks…" Kagome mouthed reluctantly. "Another power of yours?"

Nanami glanced the ring on her finger and shook her head. "A trick… a weapon."

Kagome watched the foreigner next to her as she warmed her hands and looked to the stream. -Well, she's just as cold and closed off as he is…-

"Sango would be happy to see you… Maybe it would do you some good to come back with us for a few days. So you can gain your bearings. Come up with a strategy." Inuyasha mumbled the best thing he could think of, attempting to break the awkward silence.

"Thank you… though I may only put your village in danger and draw unwanted attention." Nanami muttered reluctantly, managing a weak smile.

"You are not fooling anyone, Nanami…" Sesshomaru's cold, castigating tone sounded from behind her. Her face scowled, her eyes closed and opened slowly in annoyance.

"What a discerning, persistent guard dog I have…" She shot back, her back still to him. She could almost hear his ego being bruised.

"Perhaps if you weren't so short-sighted and imprudent, you wouldn't need guarding befitting that of a child." He retaliated bitterly.

The air itself seemed to freeze around Nanami as her eyes grew ruthlessly cold. She stood and turned on her heel gracefully. A vindictive smile crossed her lips as she sashayed over to Sesshomaru. He watched the color of her iris change to phosphorescent silver as she stopped before him. His heart beat yet it seemed as if the blood wasn't pumping to his body. Her expression was even more disturbing than the stilling sensation overwhelming him; her lips were lightly parted and she would have looked at him as one admiring a lover had her eyes not been eerie lustrous orbs. Her hands reached up to his face, gently caressing his cheeks.

"Perhaps you should reconsider keeping me alive…" She spoke softly, her fingers brushing past the defined angles of his jaw as they slowly made their way down to his chest. He was unable to move or flinch from her as she raised herself onto her toes and leaned in close to his face, as if to give him a tender kiss.

"Afterall, I am the only one in this world who can take your life in the blink of an eye." Her lips curled into a dangerous smile as her fingers rested on his chest, curling over the steel and spikes of his armor. He found himself on his knees before her, unbearable pain ravaging his body, unable to catch his breath. His hand clutched at his chest, trying to alleviate the pressure he felt within. She looked down at him with merciless eyes, no longer smiling. Her slender fingers grasped his jaw, forcing him to look at her. The pain dissipated as fast as it set in. She may have done permanent damage had it not been for his tensaiga and the demon blood coursing through his veins.

"Remember who I am…What I am." Her fingers slipped away and so did she. -A monster.- She jumped onto her horse and shot one last apologetic glance at Inuyasha and his human companion. She lashed the reigns and the mare galloped off into the night.

His blood boiled with rage, the veins snaking down to his hands and neck became more prominent as every muscle tensed. Sesshomaru's amber eyes burned red as he wheeled around and charged after the woman on her white horse.

Kagome watched Inuyasha with eyebrows arched in hopeless confusion. He felt her gaze and turned his attention back at her.

"Are we not going after them?" She asked, uncertainty in her voice.

"Why? There's no need. Nothing is going to happen."

"I'm lost… And you didn't even flinch when she brought your seemingly indestructible brother down to his knees with a single touch. How do you know they won't kill each other? She creeps me out." She mumbled as she hugged her knees.

"They've been at each other's throats ever since she showed up, yet nothing happens… well. Sort of. Anyway, she threatens then runs away, and then he just keeps on chasing her down. For all I care, those two idiots can figure their own stupid problems out. So long as she stays alive and safe, they can keep playing their dumb game." Inuyasha grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Didn't you hear her? Didn't you see what she just did? She-"

"Would have killed him by now if she truly wanted him dead. Today confirmed that." Inuyasha completed her sentence. Kagome furrowed her brow.

"That doesn't change the fact that he will kill her if she pushes too far."

"No, he won't. He killed her once only to bring her right back with the tensaiga, and he's been protecting her ever since." He said in a nonchalant tone.

Kagome's face drooped in shock and disbelief. She thew her hands up in the air in frustration and looked at him with disturbed eyes.

"Really? That's not something most people consider a trifle… This is Sesshomaru we are talking about. He's not the type to be slighted and let it go."

"Relax, Kagome. He's dead set on keeping her alive. I don't know what his reasoning is, but he won't harm her, no matter what she does. Let them figure it out. I offered my help. If she needs it she will let us know." Inuyasha shut his eyes, annoyed with the conversation. -I could care less about all this. Sesshomaru can take care of himself. So long as she stays alive like my old man wanted, he can put up with her antics on his own.-

Kagome shook her head and forced his arms up so she could lie down in his lap. "Brothers indeed." She huffed and curled up against the half-demon. A blush crept up Inuyasha's cheek as Kagome pressed close to him, forgetting her comment. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, watching her drift into sleep.

Nanami pushed her newfound mount as fast as her powerful white legs could carry. - Remember what I am… A savage, a monster, a cruel, cruel bitch… I'm losing it… I can't keep it together.- Nanami's thoughts raced in tightening circles as she pushed through the forest. Her heart raced and her head swum, from her tormented feelings and exhaustion. -Shit! What am I doing?! What the hell am I going to do?! - Her panic grew into a burning lump in her throat. She couldn't decide whether she was more furious or despondent.

Yet again she felt herself thrown off of the horse with tremendous force. Sesshomaru had to have lost his cool to hit her as hard as he did. She rolled over the hard ground, her attacker spinning with her, wailing loudly. Sesshomaru was no where in sight. She drew her swords from her back as she rolled onto her knees, straddling her assailant. From behind her, her horse screamed and kicked in terror as a stout demon in crude, worn out armor leapt over her, two adjacent sets of fangs bared and glinting. His red eyes seemed lidless and wild, with a cat-like iris. He tackled her the moment her swords silenced the grounded demon's unearthly screeching. Nanami didn't chance turning toward the second attacker, nor realizing he was there, before he bashed her head into the ground. Again, again, again and again. The demon's earsplitting screech rattled in her head, scrambling her thoughts. She tasted blood in her mouth, her head and ears thundered with pain as the world blurred and spun in the dark each time it smashed into the ground. She heard crackling and a rushing sound before her mind could only focus on the metallic taste. Nothing else.


	16. Decisions

A discordant hum, wheezy and high pitched. The smell of fire, crackle of flames. It was warm… so warm. That hum again. Off pitch and irritating.

"Stop…"

The hum continued, heedless of the plea, growing louder.

"Please…" All to no avail.

"Shut up!"

Nanami bolted upright, finding herself on a soft bed in in a dark chamber, the only light coming from the fire pit. Her eyes were adjusting to the dark, her head heavy as bricks. At least the unbearable humming ceased.

A hand pushed her head forward briefly before an old woman's fingers fumbled at her face. Nanami frowned, flinching away from her. She recognized her as the witch, her eerie misty eyes staring at her. -Can she even see me?-

"About time. Stay here. Drink this." She muttered tersely as she handed a cup of tea to Nanami. The young woman took the cup from her and watched the witch waddle out of the room. She glanced down at the simple white kimono she was wearing. It had blossom petals etched onto it with shimmering white string and no other designs. The room around her was open and minimally decorated: a small hearth, a black tea table with glass vials and a tea pot on it, the wall behind the bed was essentially a beautiful, floor to ceiling painting of a wooded valley. -What happened? Where am I?-

The doors opened once more, the witch returning with a tall woman. A shiver ran over Nanami's skin as everything within her body seized up.

"Oh." The tall woman let out a soft sigh, her eyebrows turned upwards into a pitying expression. She rushed over to the bed, her skirts swishing behind her. She sat on the bed next to Nanami, adjusting the fur draped from her arms. Her long fingers reached out to brush Nanami's cheek.

The honey haired woman sat still as stone. -Hell. I am in hell.-

The golden eyes that inspected her were most convincingly caring, and her touch was gentle as a warm summer breeze. The fire illuminated her perfect porcelain skin and blood red lips. She was beautiful. She was young. Nanami looked her features over again and again. -So it worked… The week's worth of pain and relentless sickness proves to have been worth the effort. Damn my guilt.- She remembered the hours of attempting to reverse her cruel curse from afar; it seemed futile, and left her violently ill for days.

"I thought perhaps you would have killed yourself this time." Sesshomaru's mother uttered in a gentle whisper. "You were certainly close."

Nanami remained silent as the demon brushed a thumb over her cheekbone.

"You were nearly your own undoing. You stopped time unconsciously, so that vermin wouldn't crack your skull and smear the ground with your brains." The witch rumbled nonchalantly as she shuffled closer to the fire. "Sesshomaru found you and your attacker frozen in a moment, your head in that vermin's hands, silver eyes staring up at the sky. You wouldn't let yourself go even after he freed you from the demon's hands. Had he not thought of bringing you to me, you would have kept yourself in that state until all your strength was gone."

Nanami had no recollection of what happened. The last thing she remembered was the demon's horrifying red eyes, the glistening, sickly teeth, and the earsplitting screech as he pounded her head against the ground.

"How long…?" Nanami managed, her eyes glued to Sesshomaru's mother.

"Nine days." The witch answered. Nanami's eyes widened in horror. She fell as if she fell through the floor.

"Nine days?!"

"Shh… calm down, dear." Sesshomaru's mother turned Nanami's face back toward her. The shock only doubled in Nanami's gunmetal eyes. - She should be wringing the life out of me. What is happening?-

"You will be fine. You were and are well cared for." She gave Nanami her warmest smile. Nanami's brows lowered into a doubtful frown. The silver woman observed her reaction and kept her smile.

"Why the hospitality?" She voiced Nanami's thoughts. "Based on our past, I should have done all in my power to kill you. I must say, we have been less than amiable to each other…" She could feel the apprehension coming off of Nanami's body like steam off a lake on a cold night.

"To put it succinctly… Your debt has been paid, I'm told. Your family is in ruins, you are alone in the world. Also… and I hate to admit this… your gift is quite formidable an your trick was quite effective." She mused, inspecting her scarlet nails before turning back to Nanami.

The young woman continued to glare at her host suspiciously. She sat up straight in the bed, brushing a gilded strand of hair behind her ear as her eyes jumped between the two women.

"Not to mention my son's soft spot for you… and the very informative, yet brief glimpse into the future this … talented sorceress provided me with." The demon added, her tone not as cordial as it was.

Nanami drew her eyes down to her hands, discerning the woman's intentions. . - I am secluded, friendless and forlorn. Weak. What a perfect puppet I would make.-

The silver woman shook her head in thought and sighed. "Well… whatever that human child started, you're doing quite the job of finishing… I suppose there is no avoiding it. I prefer my son in good graces. Yet my loyalty and aid will come at a price, darling."

"There it is." Nanami finally spoke. The silver woman smiled once more.

"Well, you cannot possibly think I simply had a change of heart toward you."

"And what shall this price be?"

"One step at a time, dove. Regain your strength enough to defend yourself before you make any rash decisions. Then we can see what you can accomplish."

Sesshomaru's mother stood up, a whirl of beautiful silk, and stepped out of the chamber. Nanami sat still, utterly confounded. - Yes. Hell indeed.-

"Why are you here? How did any of this happen?" She turned toward the mysterious witch, settled in by the fire, a cup of tea in her hands.

"Why are you so surprised? I've always provided services to the residents of this castle. The Lady sought me out after your spiteful caper, assuming I could reverse it. Yet you my dear girl, managed to undo your own actions seven days past. To your own fortune, considering the deep mess you are in now. Play along with her whims… Do as -"

"You have not answered me. Why are you HERE? What is happening?! Why should she have any part in this?!"

"Sesshomaru brought you to me, as I am the only one here who knows your power. As it were, I have been residing here based on her Lady's wishes ever since my own residence had suffered a collapse… My old bones do prefer the warmth and comfort of a real bed." She readjusted her hands and took another sip of her tea. "I must say you frightened even me… You were so far locked within yourself, I could hardly get you to snap out of it."

Nanami's fingers cautiously ventured to the back of her head. Had it not been for her faint memory and the women's recollections, she would have never guessed that her skull was smashed against the ground repeatedly.

"Where is he?" Her thoughts reluctantly turned to Sesshomaru, almost wishing he would burst in through the doors.

"He's quite the dutiful protector. He left two days ago, to check on his adopted daughter, I would presume. And to rid the lands of the raiders from the North. They are quite wroth with him."

"I am still lost… What is in it for his mother? How is she tolerating my presence, much less doting over me?"

"She was pleased to learn of your parents' torture and death, and of course.. your own miserable position."

"What does she mean by aid and loyalty?"

"You need allies. You cannot rely on yourself alone to reign in your father's empire…" The witch held back the rest of her thoughts, her voice trailing off clearly. Nanami watched her, waiting for her to finish the rest of her phrase.

"Nevermind that now. Go to the hot springs. Be in the garden in half an hour."

Nanami shook her head once and raised her hand, palm upwards, forming a questioning gesture. -That's it? That is all I get?-

"Quit gawking at me like that and get up. Go. Nine days slumber is quite enough." The witch muttered, back to her irritated and bitter self. She stood her feeble, bent body up and shuffled out of the room, resuming that dreadful humming of hers.

Nanami glared at the door, flustered. She shook her head yet again, as if the motion would clear her thoughts. Her body ached as she stood up slowly, her muscles tight and unyielding. She straightened her kimono and ran her hands through her undone hair before stepping out into the balmy summer twilight. A guard on watch outside the bedchamber greeted her with all the proper formalities required for a noble woman. Nanami could not help but laugh. -I must be in an absurd dream.-

He heeded her request and lead her to the springs at the edge of the castle lands. A small, elegant hut stood behind the trees by the water. The armored soldier and three of his counterparts stood guard while Nanami set out to bathe. A young servant girl in a modest gray kimono and shining black hair approached as Nanami prepared to disrobe.

"For you, milady." Her high, sweet voice called out. Nanami turned, her hands pulling her silks back together. The girl set down bathing supplies and proceeded to hang a kimono in the small hut for Nanami to change into.

Nanami watched her for a few moments, then turned her attention to the guards. They all had their backs turned to her and stood still as statues. Nanami undressed and sunk her body deep into the hot waters, relishing the caress of the hot water. She breathed deep and tilted her head back, eyes closed. -I could run… There are only four guards…- She opened her eyes and sat back up, water reaching up to her lips. - And go where? What would be the point? -

Nanami's thoughts turned to her parents as she cleansed her skin. -Nine days. The longer I wait, the more they'll take from him. Have they found any more of my kin? Some other distant relations? What am I to do?- She felt the burn at the back of her eyes and the itch in her throat, remembering the parcel she received. -Stop. That's no use now.-

Nanami finished bathing and made her way to the small hut, where the timid young servant helped her dress. Her hands swiftly and deftly dressed and secured the kimono properly. The silks were beautiful: an airy white slip, red juban, white kimono with black floral design. Her obi was red slashed with white, its cord simple black. Nanami fastened her hair into a long ponytail, a subtle twist on her left side. By the time they finished, the sun had crept up to the peaks behind the castle.

Nanami made her way back up to the gardens, her mind still reeling. She found it hard to believe she had awoken, well and alive, in the halls of the woman who plagued her childhood. Even more so, the woman's gentle manner was unthinkable. -She is scheming something… Her sweet smiles hide an ulterior motive. That damn grin scares me more than her cruelty.-

"My, my… much better." The demon's voice reached out to Nanami. The fair haired immortal turned. -Speak of the devil.-

"Much, much better. These colors suit you." Sesshomaru's mother walked proudly, stopping next to Nanami. She inspected her kimono and brushed a stray lock of hair back behind Nanami's ear. She continued to confound and unsettle Nanami, who looked on with mistrusting eyes.

"Thank you for the… hospitality."

"Hm." Sesshomaru's mother smiled and continued on her way, toward the gardens. Nanami repressed a scowl. She had hoped that by some miracle she would be able to avoid her host. The silver woman made her skin crawl with apprehension, and the more she offered her, the more Nanami would have to pay. She glanced behind her, at the shimmering lake and forest beyond, wishing she was on the other shore. Nanami followed the lady of the castle to the lush green and serene gardens. She had forgotten just how beautiful the palace and surrounding lands were. The surrounding scenery took her mind off her worries and predicament, but only for a moment. Following her host, Nanami stepped into a small banquet room, its screens open and the first light of morning streaming in. She was flooded with memories yet again.

The room seemed similar to what it had been two centuries before, except for updated furniture and re-paneled walls. It retained its neutral color scheme and simplistic elegance. In her memory, her father sat opposite the dark table from the Great Dog Demon, his gray hair and clothes wet with rain. His lightweight silver armor gleamed with the light of the lanterns in the room. She had been so young then, a frightened child, as she sat down next to her father. She could not understand a word the men were speaking: their exchange was hushed and swift. Too swift for her to catch as she was still learning the language. Her eyes were glued to the golden eyed man. Nanami remembered clear as day how fearsome and imposing he looked that day. He was tall and built, as large as her own mountainous father. His long hair was nearly a glowing white, bound back into a ponytail. She was fascinated with his armor, the spikes coming out of the metal plates were as formidable teeth. Little Nanami puzzled over how they were made. He seemed so massive to her as a child, and he struck fear into her the moment she saw him. Her eyes lingered longest on his face: the blue tinted scars or marks on his cheekbones, his furrowed brows and deep-set gold eyes. Her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of his fangs as he spoke. He was like no living being she had ever seen. Nanami vividly remembered the flush of red that crept up to her cheeks and the embarrassment when the demon caught her staring with all the brash curiosity and bewilderment of a child. And her being so young, her eyes only widened and she continued to stare at him, frozen still. Yet all he did was smirk.

"What is your name?" He asked her in Japanese, speaking clearly and slowly.

"A- Alyona, my Lord." She muttered and bowed, as her father had taught her.

"Beautiful name. Beautiful girl." Despite its deep rumble, his voice was genial. He turned his attention back to her father. They spoke for a while, their conversation concluding with laughter and the reunion of close friends.

Now Nanami sat in her father's place, facing Inu no Taisho's devastatingly beautiful widow. Her face retained the devilish playfulness it had when she had first seen her. Nanami couldn't get enough of the woman's beauty as a child. And she seemed friendly enough in the beginning, though the longer her father remained, the more deceptive her kindness grew. She would become cruel all while retaining her playful smirks and the glimmer in her eyes. Just as she had now.

"You must eat and regain your strength." She said as she settled into a comfortable position, waiting for her tea to be served. Her servants fluttered around the room, preparing their tea and meals.

"Meanwhile, enlighten me, darling… I've heard a vague summary of what transgressed in your homeland, but not enough to satiate my curiosity. Start from the beginning. How did you get home? How did Sesshomaru manage to find you?"

Nanami avoided staring at the woman, limiting her gaze to timid glances. She was treading in dangerous waters, better to keep the woman thinking she was not on the defensive.

"May I ask you one question before I divulge anything?"

The silver woman's curiosity piqued, and she nodded, motioning 'go on' with her hand. Nanami smiled weakly, signaling a thank you.

"Tsuneo… Last time we saw each other, you were in league with him. Is he still your … associate?"

She let out a melodic laugh. "That pest? No. He was useless in the duty I asked of him. He was to kill you, by means of turning my son against you once you reappeared. Instead the buffoon inadvertently turned him and that half-human whelp of my dead beloved against himself. Blithering idiot, honestly. Plus he reached too far- thinking I would bend to his will. He did not take too well to me taking a swing at his head when he came crawling back. I have not seen him since. I hear he's kept you as a target though, upon learning what you beheld."

Nanami was aghast with the woman's nonchalant tone. -She… She started all this? She hired Tsuneo?-

"Don't look so shocked." The demon took a sip of her steaming tea. "Your turn. Go on then."

Nanami could hardly keep her jaw from dropping. -'Go on'? Is she serious? She knocked the wind out of me and expects me to get up and run again?-

"I…" Nanami couldn't formulate her words, nor keep herself from glaring at the woman in disbelief. She forced her hands to reach for the tea and collect herself. -Let it go for now. Save your questions for later. Do not irritate her.-

"My father came across the seas in search of me and brought me home. I was held in the city, not permitted to leave its borders nor communicate with anyone outside its walls. I was supposed to have disappeared without a trace and remained so to the rest of the world. No one was to know where I was, nor to speak of me. Two years it had worked, until Rin found me. She-"

"Rin? Sesshomaru's little human companion?"

"Yes. My father's men took her along, thinking her an orphan, when they left for home." Nanami went on to explain all that happened overseas. She elected not to spare much detail, thinking it would make no difference. The more she cooperated with the silver demon, the more like she was to buy herself time, the less wrath was to incur. She paused briefly upon recalling the contents of the parcel and the scroll it came with. -She doesn't need to know the terms of Sesshomaru's surrender. Leave it at your own personal terms.-

"If I return, my life spares that of my family. My father yet lives. All my remaining kin will live. If I remain here, they all die." She muttered solemnly, hardly able to keep her breakfast down.

"Hm." Sesshomaru's mother watched her silently, pondering. "Quite the predicament you are in."

Nanami glanced up at her yet said nothing. She thanked the servants as they cleared the table.

"What do you desire? What will you do?" The elder woman rested her hand on the table.

"Do I have any choice?" Nanami asked, earnestly wondering what possible action she could take. "How can I let all my kin die for me, how can I let my father's empire crumble? Better it be ruled by force and yet remain strong and intact than have it split into factions over the fate of the ancient dynasty and who aught to be in the ruling seat."

Sesshomaru's mother nodded in thought. "Do you wish to return?"

Nanami looked at the woman, for once seeing her without the mischief or evil coolness in her eyes. She saw only the expressionless gold of her eyes.

"Well, before you make any decisions, let yourself recuperate and gather your strength. Spend another day here. I insist." She muttered and stood up, seemingly floating out of the room.

Nanami sat still, even more dumbfounded than she was an hour past. Her head ached and felt as if it would split open with the mere pressure and stress of all she learned in the waking hours of the morning. She relied on all her strength to keep herself together. She turned her thoughts to how she would keep herself occupied for a day and stop herself from screaming.

Sesshomaru walked to the castle, wondering whether he would find Nanami awake. He had last seen her two days ago, and she finally began to look less ashen and drawn. He pondered what she would do once she woke, realizing where she was. -Slap me.- He would gladly welcome the sting of her palm against him, only to know she was back.

He reached the doors to the room she had been kept in, only to find it empty. The bed was made, the lanterns without light, the room tidied. For a brief moment, Sesshomaru's skin flushed with anxiety, deducing that she either woke or she died. She couldn't have passed… He walked further into the castle and caught her scent, a flood of relief washing over him. Sesshomaru rushed to the gardens, the setting sun glinting off the lake. He stopped at the steps once he saw her. She sat by the pond, elbow resting on a decorative rock, a book in hand, her right hand providing a rest for her jaw. The tip of her ring finger touched her lower lip as she read. Her lashes blinked often, her eyes tired. He envied the summer breeze that rustled her golden hair, shining with the setting sun. Sesshomaru walked toward her, cutting back around trees, watching her from afar a bit longer. She was stunning in the kimono, the last warm light of the sun kissing her smooth skin. She closed the book, as well as her eyes, letting out a sigh. He walked closer, near enough for her to hear his steps. Her eyes opened almost reluctantly and she turned toward the footfalls approaching her. Immediately the sleep fled from her eyes, her back straightened and she lowered her hand away from her face. She stood up as he approached her, unsure of how to react.

"You are a fool." He towered over her by over half a foot. She was clearly taken aback by his comment, her eye brows arching and her head flinched back slightly. For once she didn't seem to have a wisecrack response.

Sesshomaru glared at her, though not as angrily as he'd hoped. -I thought you would die. Seeing you like that… frozen… Never had I seen anything as terrifying. You were dead to the world with life still in you, and yet I could do nothing.-

"Reckless, heedless…" Was all he managed.

Nanami's jaw tightened and she looked away from him, toward the sunset. Her eyes lingered on the lake and lands beyond. Sesshomaru watched her silently, not divulging any further thoughts. He fought the urge to reach out and touch her sun kissed skin, as if to make sure she really was there. He kept his distance.

Hearing no further criticisms from him, Nanami turned and walked back toward the palace, awarding him one last intense gaze. - He was right next to me, yet a he felt a world away. I cannot let myself feel anything for him. -

Sesshomaru debated following her as she disappeared in a rush of black and white. The muscles in his neck grew taught as his jaw tightened, yet the rest of him remained expressionless. -Had we been elsewhere, I would have…- He silenced his thoughts.

"I never thought I'd see the day…" His mother's voice called from behind him as she descended down a different path, beautiful as ever.

"Mother." He greeted her, his eyes as cold as her own.

"You look at her as a hungry dog eyes a bone." She muttered in a matter of fact tone. His face pulled into a disapproving scowl.

"At least she's not a human damsel in distress. Then I would have been sure there was nothing of me in you." She continued as she stopped next to her son, and both looked out to the lake, painted fiery red with the setting sun. "And she comes with a sizable legacy… if she can wrestle it back." The woman turned toward her son with guileful eyes. He avoided looking at her.

"You reach far, mother."

"And you not far enough."

Finally, he turned toward her, irritated. "I did not expect such a drastic change of heart from you."

"Oh no. I never will be fond of her, I simply learned to tolerate her for her value. Besides it seems she has repaid her debt. The lives of her family for the precious life of my son. Torment and solitude for your father."

Sesshomaru wasn't convinced. It was too simple of an explanation. His mother would not go back on all her actions so easily. He phrased his question simply. "What changed?"

The silver haired woman watched her son, her smile caustic. "You did."

The surprise in his eyes was undeniable. He looked on, waiting for an elaboration.

"You changed, my son. I never thought you would develop an attachment for her, again, once I brought your past into the clear. I had hoped you would end her, as you would have done any other opponent. Instead you chased after her, bringing her back here, and yet did absolutely nothing… You will not take her life and put this all to an end nor will you take the opportunity she provides. Keep up this silly game of keeping her around yet ignoring her and you will ruin that chance too. Either let her go home to her own death… or claim her."

Sesshomaru caught on to her insinuation. "Absurd."

"Oh, come, my spiteful child… She believes she has you wrapped around her finger, and she will use that to her advantage. Keep her thinking that way. All while making her fall for her own trap… Then reap the rewards. Or let her leave and perish. But do something… Otherwise I will help her on her way home."

Sesshomaru glared at his mother in astonishment, refusing to partake in her schemes. He left her in the gardens, escaping the uncomfortable conversation. The silver haired demon gazed into the small pond at her feet, a devious and triumphant smile across her lips.

Sesshomaru leaned back against the wall of the spring, his eyes closed. He stretched out his arms, resting them on the edge of the stone wall. A relieved sigh slipped from his tightlipped mouth as his muscles relaxed. He indulged in a moment of relief; Rin was safe and sound, Nanami was alive and well, the demon shogun in the north had yet to take action and send a full force after him. He had a moment of reprieve. The steam and hot water soothed him to the bone.

A summer breeze passed through the spring, the rustle of the leaves accompanying the tranquil rumble of the waters. Another faint sound disturbed the serenity ; soft shuffle of silk and light steps. He kept his eyes closed, not a fiber of his muscles moving. The steps ceased and the springs stilled for a brief moment. With a whisper of fabric the intruder sat down. His eyes finally opened.

"How did you get past the guards?"

She settled in, leaning on her arm. "I didn't."

Sesshomaru looked at her from the corner of his eyes. Nanami was on the edge, near his outstretched hand. She sat on her right hip, her legs pressed close to her, wrapped in black and white silks. Her expression was stoic, unreadable, as her eyes swept over the steam to her side. Sesshomaru surveyed her for another moment, curious as to what her intentions were. She turned back to him, feeling his gaze. Her eyes refused to slip below his face.

She shook her head at him. "You had to bring me here?"

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back once more. The hot water reached to just below his chest. The rumbled of the water stilled his mind as he shut himself off to the felt the splash douse his chest, neck and cheek, yet remained immovable.

"Do that again, I will pull you into the water."

"You would ruin my dress." She mumbled bitterly. "Couldn't you have brought the witch to me?"

"No."

"You call me a fool and yet drag me here…"

He remained still, ignoring her once more. She splashed him again. This time he growled and turned toward her, water dripping from his face. His right hand snatched her wrist and yanked her closer to him, doubling her over her own legs. His grip switched to her jaw, all while he remained in the same position.

"Enough." His threat was low and menacing.

"No, not even close. Your own mother hired Tsuneo to turn you against me. She tormented me for years, and yet now she shows consideration toward me. If I had ever smelled a trap, it is this." She snarled at him like a cornered cat.

"There is no trap." He lied, letting her go. Her nebulous eyes flickered with doubt.

"You want me to live?" She asked him, leaning in close to his face, water still dripping from his silver hair. His amber eyes surveyed her foreign features. -Shouldn't that be obvious?-

"You know the answer."

She only glared at him in response.

"Yes." He growled.

"Then protect me from her. Get me away from this place." Nanami muttered, brushing the droplets of water from his brow. Her touch was gentle, yet her eyes and voice were scathing. She turned away, her hands grasping her silks. Sesshomaru reached out for her wrist before she had the chance to get up. He rose from the spring, turning to face her, amused by the flush of red that lit up her cheeks. His smooth skin gleamed with water, taut over his inhumanely perfect proportions. The water reached to his hips, to the marks matching those of his arms slashing along the grooves above his hip bones. She glared at him defiantly as he leaned in, his long, powerful hands taking hold of her neck, his thumbs on her jaw.

"Do not do anything foolish." He whispered, the chill of the evening prickling his wet skin.

"That depends on how long until you get me out of here." She whispered back, her voice soft yet stinging.

"Even if I get you out of here, I will not let you out of my sight."

She leaned in even closer, her lips near enough to kiss him."Good luck with that." She simpered and moved to push his hands away, only to have him hold on and pull her closer. He resorted to Nanami's teasing habit of pulling up close enough for it to only be natural to kiss, but held back. For a fleeting moment, his eyes lingered on her lips: she kept them closed, blossom soft and rosy, with a minuscule straight scar pointing down at the edge of her lower lip. Her skin and the arch of her cupid's bow was dewy with the steam from the spring, begging to be touched.

He let her go and turned away. Nanami's face remained stoic, her eyes only growing colder as she watched his mesomorphic, broad shouldered body sink into the waters yet again. She looked away wordlessly and stood up with all the grace a kimono as beautiful as hers required. Sesshomaru listened to her soft steps receding back into the night, his mind replaying the words his mother spoke to him earlier. He grimaced with the realization that she may have the truth of it. He turned to the heat of the water and the ambient sounds to drown out his thoughts.

Nanami tread back toward her guest chamber, seething. She refused to acknowledge the frustration she felt at feeling the rush of expecting a kiss, yet being left with nothing but a cold stare from those amber eyes. She focused her thoughts toward the anger she felt for where she was held at, knowing she wouldn't dare to make any brash move to anger Sesshomaru's mother. Last thing she needed was the wrath of the ruthless silver beauty. The demon already went so far as to seek the services of a delusional lunatic like Tsuneo, there was no telling what she would resort to next. Nanami was still reeling from that bit of information.

She stepped into her chambers, guards still posted at the doors. -They are everywhere, as they always have been. - The witch was muddling something in a small stone dish before pouring the powder into three glass vials with a dark liquid within. She was humming again, the sounds coming from her enough to make Nanami's skin crawl and hair stand on end. She handed Nanami a cup as the young woman sat herself down across from her at the table.

"Drink that and sleep." The witch paused her off pitch tune.

Nanami looked into the cup and smelled its contents. It smelled like a strong brew of black tea. "What is it?"

"Exactly what you think it is… With honey and some medicinal herbs to speed your recovery."

"I am fine."

"Drink it." She grumbled, putting stoppers into the three glass vials. Nanami obeyed and sipped the tea. It was not awful, but one of the herbs gave the tea a slight bitter taste that the honey did not mask.

"Take these. You'll know when you need them." She handed Nanami the vials.

"Medicine? Poison?" The young woman inspected the bottles in her hands.

"Once you need it, drink one a day."

"Well, what is in this?"

"You'll know if you need it." The witch muttered, gathering her things before she waddled out of the room.

"It never ends." Nanami muttered, setting the glass down on the table by the tea. -Poison… she knows I will try to go home. A quick death? A parting gift?- Yet again she was left more confused than she was several moments past. She took one final gulp of her tea, picked up the book she had been reading earlier from the table and walked over to the bed, laying down on top of the covers. She settled in on her left side, her arm bent under her head, her hand resting on her neck. She opened the pages and began to read, hoping to distract herself enough until her undecided rescuer would decide to knock at her doors.

By the time Sesshomaru had dressed and made his way to Nanami's chambers, carrying his armor in his left hand, the moon had risen to bathe the landscape in a luminescent white. There was a faint light coming from inside the room Nanami was in. The guards made no move to stop him, oddly enough.

"Nanami." He muttered outside the closed screen doors. He heard no answer, nor could he hear her move. His hand opened the door cautiously as he stepped in.

She was on the bed, still in her elegant kimono, sound asleep. In her right hand was a book, closed on her thumb. Sesshomaru had half a mind to step out of the room and leave her be, but his hands closed the door before he had another moment to think it through. His hand held his two swords in place as he walked, so that they would not make the slightest sound as he approached her. He watched her for a brief moment, before removing his swords and setting them down alongside his armor by a nearby wall. She seemed in a dreamless sleep, her body still and her breathing soft. Sesshomaru knelt by her, carefully pulling the book from her fingers, setting it on the floor by the bed. He reached over her, pulling the cover over her sleeping form. His fingers reluctantly brushed a stray lock of golden hair from her face, his skin tingling with warmth. Sesshomaru moved back and sat down against the wall opposite from Nanami, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning his head back. He studied her through half open eyes; she seemed much less intimidating, less threatening, with almost a fragile quality to her as she slept. The way she was laying accentuated the curve of her hips and her slender waist, while the silks of her kimono wrapped around her lean legs.

His thoughts tried to picture what would happen to her if she returns home; his mind conjured her up laying in much the same way she was now, only lifeless, bloodied, her eyes open, looking at him as colorless, clouded empty orbs. He shook the vision from his head, not being able to bear the thought. He forced his eyes closed, as if avoiding seeing his mental image materialize before him. -Kill her or keep her… If only I had known what chaos she would bring… I let this go too far. I should have left her dead. I should never have chased after her… I need to let her go. I have to… to preserve whatever is left of me.- Whatever argument his mind evoked to assure himself of her necessary departure, he had to find yet another, and another to make his decision.

His eyes snapped open in frustration. For a long while he clung desperately to the thought that he merely cared for the fulfillment his father's oath; as long as she lives, he does not have a care where she goes, nor what she does. -This shouldn't need so much convincing… I cannot stand idly by and allow her to die, it is too late for that sort of ambivalence. I am much too involved…- He watched her inhale deeply as her shoulders twisted back to lie flat on the mattress, her right hand resting on the curve of her waist, her knees still turned toward him. Her left hand moved out from under her head and lazily stretched straight out in front of her, her fingers nearly brushing the floor. For a moment he thought she would wake, he was unsure of whether that would be a welcome thing or not. Yet he continued to gaze at her, unable to look away. She enthralled him even as she slept. -Much too involved indeed.- Sesshomaru scolded himself, though not sure of why. His eyes shut once more, cursing the truth of his mother's observation. His thoughts dared to venture to the other option she had proposed. -Nanami would take her own life before… - He growled to himself before he could finish the thought, his expression pulling into a scowl. -What a tiresome, maddening emotion… Better to not care and preserve one's sanity than to be so indecisive and pained over another. I do not want this, nor do I need such foolishness… It was bad enough when Rin clouded my thoughts and weakened my indifference, now I have her to haunt my dreams, my waking moments. Not a day goes by without me thinking of her. She will be the death of me… or I of her.-


End file.
